Ukraine has managed to increase the personnel and armament of its army, but the quality of the recruits raises many questions. Commanders are increasingly concerned about the rate at which they are being killed or wounded in battle, writes the FT.
The Ukrainian infantry suffered the most. Some soldiers simply abandon their positions, allowing the enemy to gain more ground. Ukrainian military commanders in Donbass said that the new recruits lack basic combat skills and motivation.
Commanders estimate that 50 to 70 percent of new infantrymen are killed or wounded within days of starting their first rotation.
Senior Ukrainian officials said that Ukraine has been mobilizing 30,000 troops a month since May. But commanders on the ground and military analysts warn that these people are unmotivated, psychologically and physically unprepared - and as a result are dying at an alarming rate.
Some guys just “freeze” because they are afraid to shoot at the enemy, and then they are the ones who ride in body bags or are seriously wounded, says a Ukrainian commander. Some return so exhausted that they need mental health care.
„When new guys take up positions, many of them run away at the first shell blast,” said the deputy commander of Ukraine's 72nd mechanized brigade, which is fighting near the town of Ugledar.
Age is a key issue in the Ukrainian armed forces, with the average age being 45. In addition, the Ukrainian army is led by officers and generals who began their careers in Soviet times and “never participated in hostilities”.
People from all walks of life were sent to the infantry, but not all were suitable for the front. The mobilized convicts turned out to be good soldiers - they demonstrate dedication and the ability to adapt in a combat zone, officers say.
Another major problem is that "the trainers themselves have no real combat experience, so they don't teach the recruits what they need to know to fight and, more importantly, stay alive."< /p>
“Some of our soldiers don't even know how to hold rifles. "They spend more time peeling potatoes than shooting," said one commander, who even bought paintball equipment instead of rifles and live ammunition so recruits could get more training without wasting precious ammunition.
ZSU Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Sirsky said this month that he ordered the quality of training for recruits to be improved by recruiting “motivated instructors with combat experience”.