The capabilities of the Ukrainian Army's frontline units continue to decline, and the loss of well-trained and experienced units has led to a rapid increase in reliance on conscript units with very limited combat capabilities. According to a report in the Financial Times of London, 50% to 70% of new recruits can only survive a few days on the front line, lack motivation and are prone to panic. Training standards were reportedly so poor that not everyone knew how to hold the weapon. Additionally, exhaustion in the number of men considered combat age means the average age of new recruits is now 45. The report follows a statement from Alexander Silsky, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who took office in early February, saying that the new recruits had been proven to lack the training required for frontline operations. He lamented the sheer technological superiority of the Russian military, saying at the time that personnel had only received two months of training – although other sources suggested much less. title=”ODAB-500 thermobaric bombs dropped on Ukrainian positions”>
In the past two years, there have been many reports about insufficient training standards for frontline troops. Wall Street JournalReported In mid-2023, the Ukrainian army recruited poor people from villages, provided them with Soviet-era rifles and uniforms, and after two nights at the base, sent them to the front lines. When some draftees attempted to sign formal refusals, the reason was that they lacked any proper training. The Ukrainian sergeant major replied “Bakhmut will teach you” – referring to the frontline cities We were in the center of the battle. troops, sometimes poorly trained and equipped” in an effort to maintain well-trained brigades and >equipped by the West for a widely anticipated offensive. In a follow-up offensive to begin in June 2023, the well-trained The troops suffered huge losses, further increasing their reliance on conscripts. Lieutenant Colonel Berezhyoun revealed on September 15, 2023 that the troops suffered heavy casualties. Observation: “Of the 100 men who joined the force last fall, 10-20 stayed, and the rest were dead, wounded or disabled.” This shows the number of conscripts in the force last year The casualty rate is 80-90%. Berezhyan's statement was far from an isolated incident, with Ukraine's ambassador to the UK and former foreign minister Vadim Pristako saying in April that the human toll was catastrophic. “Our policy from the beginning has been not to discuss our losses. After the war is over, we will admit it. I think it will be a terrible number.