On paper, there are many people on the front line, there are weapons and ammunition - but the front is falling apart. Not because people are not fighting, but because there is chaos in the command. This was stated by Ukrainian military expert and Navy sergeant Taras Chmut to “Ukrainska Pravda“, commenting on what is happening on the front.
POLITICO writes that the Ukrainian army is facing several serious problems nearly 3 years after the full-scale invasion of the Russian army. The ZSU are trying to fill the shortage of military personnel against the backdrop of the slow but bloody Russian offensive in Donbass.
The Commander-in-Chief of the ZSU, Oleksandr Syrsky, issued an order on January 11 to transfer over 5,000 servicemen from the Air Force to the Ground Forces. This has raised concerns that Ukraine is sacrificing highly qualified specialists it will not be able to replace. However, Syrsky insisted that he would not transfer "irreplaceable" personnel. The issue has not gone unnoticed in Washington. "The problem that Ukraine faces is not that they are running out of money, but that they are running out of Ukrainians," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The situation for Ukraine is dire, as the army struggles with desertions, poorly trained soldiers and exhausted ones. We are also seeing arrests of high-ranking officers. This is becoming a political problem for Kiev, as the country tries to demonstrate to US President Donald Trump that it makes sense to continue supporting Ukraine while he insists on a quick end to the war.
The problems on the front line raise questions about the quality of Ukraine's military command, which is trying to transition from a Soviet-style hard power to one based on Western principles while fighting an existential war.
“Under Syrsky's command, the headquarters has become a group of loyalists. His people only want to report victories to the headquarters, no matter how many lives it costs,“ says Anastasia - a military medic who was sent to one of the hottest spots on the front (near Kurakhovo) last fall. The press service of the General Staff of Ukraine denied the accusations.
Although the high command has refused to publicly discuss any problems facing the Ukrainian army, as this could harm operations against Russia, it has acknowledged that there have been cases of desertions in the army. Kiev wants to strengthen communication and trust between the command and soldiers, as well as training, medical and psychological support for its troops.
Personnel problems are coming to the fore as Ukraine struggles to slow down Russia's advance. The Russian army has seized about 2,800 square kilometers of land since May. The Russians are now tightening their grip on the eastern logistics hub of Pokrovsk - leading to more accusations against the high command in Kiev.
„The main reason for the disaster in the Pokrovsk sector is the high command, which is setting unrealistic tasks for units. Generals who do not understand the capabilities of the units and do not navigate the situation on the front line,“ said Serhiy Filimonov, a commander in the Da Vinci Wolves battalion.
There is also criticism of the way the military integrates new recruits into the army. There are complaints that the high command is placing poorly trained recruits in new brigades and then throwing inexperienced units into the hottest battles. Despite the growing problems, the Ukrainian army continues to reform and gradually transition to a modern, Western-style structure.