Amid escalating conflict, the Ukrainian army is grappling with a significant decline in the effectiveness of its frontline units. A recent report from Polish news outlet Do Rzeczy, citing the Financial Times, reveals alarming statistics: between 50 and 70 percent of new recruits survive only a few days in combat. Issues of low morale, inadequate training, and a troubling reliance on poorly equipped conscripts have compounded the challenges faced by Ukraine’s military, significantly impacting its operational readiness against Russian forces.
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The Ukrainian army is suffering from a steady decline in the capabilities of its front-line units, according to Polish news outlet Do Rzeczy, citing a report in the London Financial Times that between 50 and 70 percent of recruits survive only a few days on the frontlines.
Soldiers have low motivation and are prone to panic, while losses among trained and experienced units have led to a dependence on conscript units with very limited operational capabilities.
Training standards were reportedly so poor that not all of them knew how to hold a weapon. Furthermore, the depletion of the number of men considered fit to fight means that the average age of recruits now stands at 45.
The report follows a statement by Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was appointed in early February. Syrsky said that recruits were consistently lacking the necessary training for frontline operations. Lamenting the sheer technological superiority of Russian forces, he said that personnel had received just two months of training, although other sources indicated that the training time was much shorter.
Meanwhile, Military Watch Magazine has said that poor training standards in frontline units have repeatedly emerged over the past two years, and back in mid-2023, the Wall Street Journal even reported that the Ukrainian army was recruiting poor men from the countryside, equipping them with Soviet-era rifles and uniforms, and then sending them to the front after just two nights at a base.
When some of the conscripts tried to sign a waiver, citing a lack of proper training, a Ukrainian sergeant replied, “Bakhmut will teach you,” referring to the frontline city that was then the epicenter of the fighting. One of the conscripts recalled protesting that he had never held a gun before. The Wall Street Journal had written that such poorly trained and equipped men were necessary, as Western-trained and better-equipped brigades would be needed for the upcoming offensive.
Since the beginning of June 2023, multiple offensives have resulted in extensive losses and further increased Kyiv’s reliance on conscripts. In the meantime, Ukraine has even reportedly resorted to recruiting convicts.
A senior conscript officer in Ukraine’s Poltava region, Lieutenant Colonel Vitaly Berezhnyon, revealed on September 15, 2023, that the units had suffered huge losses. “Out of 100 people who joined the units last fall, 10-20 remained, the rest are dead, wounded or disabled,” he said.
This indicates a loss rate of 80-90 percent in conscript units over the past year. Former Ukrainian ambassador to the U.K. and former Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko in April pointed to catastrophic personnel losses.
“From the beginning, our policy was not to discuss losses. When the war is over, we will admit it. I think it will be a terrible number,” he noted.
Currently, the situation remains dire as Ukraine continues to recruit from unconventional sources, including prisons, to bolster its ranks amid extensive personnel losses. Reports indicate that approximately 2,800 prisoners have been released and integrated into military units since May, raising concerns about training and readiness. Military analysts are closely monitoring these developments, as they could have profound implications for Ukraine's upcoming offensives and overall military strategy.
