Ukraine war: Doubts about enough men of fighting age

After more than a year of war in Ukraine, there are fewer and fewer volunteers who want to go to the front. The new recruits should consist of very young or very old men.

Kyiv – Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed in the Ukraine war. For its large-scale offensive against the Russian invading army, Kiev urgently needs new defenders. At the beginning of the war, volunteers from home and abroad decided to defend Ukraine, but now the situation is different. After a year of grueling war, the splendor of heroism has been lost for many, and the country must bet on conscription. In addition, many Ukrainian men have also fled abroad to avoid having to go to the front.

40,000 inexperienced recruits for Ukraine war

The US online magazine The Daily Beast writes in a report that a lieutenant colonel complained about his unit. This consisted "exclusively of inexperienced soldiers", some of whom would not fire their weapons because they were "afraid of the sound of the shot". In recent months, Ukraine has set up around a dozen new assault brigades with an estimated 40,000 additional troops to push the Russians back to their own border, according to the online magazine.

From school to the front lines in the Ukraine war

Apparently, Ukraine must therefore also send younger recruits to war. The Daily Beast was invited to watch a combat medic from the Ukrainian Army's Third Tank Regiment give a crash course in battlefield medicine to a group of newly mobilized men. One of the recruits was someone with a baby face, who was barely 18 years old and apparently just came home from school. The magazine reports that the men are all inexperienced, distinguished either by their youth or old age.

Soldiers of the newly created National Guard are practicing for emergencies. © Andrii Marienko/dpa

Doubts about enough men of fighting age

The Ukrainian military, apparently, did not want to answer journalists' questions about whether their country was able to recruit enough men of fighting age. Both Russia and Ukraine are secretive when it comes to the number of victims. Both sides are said to have suffered over 100,000 casualties, including the wounded, prisoners of war and the fallen.

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Many of Ukraine's most experienced brigades have suffered badly - their ranks have been worn down by the brutal fighting in Kharkiv, Kherson and, most notoriously, Bakhmut. However, the new recruits are unlikely to have the same strength as their predecessors. In addition, the Ukrainian army had to greatly reduce the rest and rotation times for its troops. Soldiers who suffer from injuries or psychological trauma have also apparently been recalled.