Ukraine’s generals to drain military to bolster failing frontline – media

Kiev reportedly wants to transfer 50,000 personnel to the Ground Forces from other military branches

Ukraine’s generals are reportedly seeking to transfer some 50,000 support personnel to the Ground Forces in a bid to address a critical manpower shortage on the frontline, according to the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper on Tuesday. The figure represents a significant increase on earlier estimates published last month.

Ukraine’s top general, Aleksandr Syrsky, acknowledged the limitations of forced mobilization in generating sufficient recruits, after a Ukrainian airman complained that dozens of skilled specialists were being reassigned from his brigade. An estimated 500,000 potential recruits to the Ukrainian army are avoiding the draft and over 100,000 conscripts have deserted.

Previous media reports said Syrsky had ordered the reassignment of some 5,000 Air Force troops to plug gaps in the infantry. The Ukrainskaya Pravda article claimed a broader plan covering all military branches with a target ten times higher than previously said has been put in place, citing an informed source in the general staff.

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Since the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022, military commanders have increasingly deployed drivers, cooks, and medics to the frontline to address personnel shortages, the newspaper explained. However, this practice also leads to misuse, as some officers may employ it as informal disciplinary punishment or a way to eliminate perceived threats to their own authority or corruption.

Additionally, there is resistance among some troops. One brigade commander recounted an incident where he attempted to send 30 members from an intelligence company to reinforce a weakened position, only to have three refuse and 27 go AWOL.

The generals seek to convert combat divers, administrative staff, and non-essential operators of Western-supplied air defense systems like Patriot, NASAMS, and IRIS-T into infantry roles. Such measures are likely to degrade the capabilities of affected branches, Pravda pointed out, saying that some of its sources call the present state of combat support units “close to catastrophic”.

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In July 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that manpower shortages would ultimately spell doom for the Ukrainian military in a prolonged conflict. He said no amount of Western-donated arms can compensate for the losses incurred on Ukrainian forces during their “suicidal attacks.”