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The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are determined to continue fighting the Russians, but everything else – from training, arming, strategising and logistics, which are the responsibility of the US and Nato – is unravelling and falling by the wayside.
Crucially, there is a severe disconnect between the combat training given by the Nato instructors and the skills that Ukrainian soldiers require to penetrate Russian positions. To date, 63,000 Ukrainian soldiers have gone through a condensed 35-day basic soldier training course run by the Nato instructors.
The US and Nato trainers draw from vastly different experiences and this detracts from the effectiveness and ability of Ukrainian soldiers, reducing their ability to relate and apply the knowledge gained to battlefield situations.
The ultimate goal has been to integrate Ukraine’s armed forces in a post-war set-up within Nato’s modus operandi. Last year, Nato won praise for the training it had conducted annually of at least 10,000 troops since 2014, which proved decisive in halting Russia’s initial advance to Kyiv.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on UN to strip ‘criminal’ Russia of veto power
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on UN to strip ‘criminal’ Russia of veto power
Reports of ever-increasing stress and mental health issues are emerging, with soldiers reluctant to take to the battlefield as they feel they do not have enough time to recover from their traumatic experiences. Numerous soldiers have gone the entire year with only a handful of days spent at home, with many being thrust back onto the front line, leading to a spike in suicides.
This leads to the inefficient use of supplies due to shells and rockets being unreliable in their accuracy, which can result in equipment being damaged and soldiers injured. This contributes to low morale in the AFU, which faces mass desertions. At the start of the offensive in June, Ukrainian border guards were detaining up to 20 men a day for dodging the draft.
Can Ukraine rely on the West to supply the arms in a war of attrition?
Can Ukraine rely on the West to supply the arms in a war of attrition?
According to Romanian immigration authorities, 6,200 Ukrainian men of military age have crossed their border illegally, while some 20,000 have fled with special permits, though these are often falsified documents such as medical certificates and exemptions. Kyiv has enacted strict laws to punish disobedience and draft dodgers who face 10 years in prison, and there have been reports of deserters being shot at.
If the aim of the US and Nato is for Ukraine to sustainably maintain its own defence needs, then this current style of warfare training is preparing them for the wrong fight – and may ultimately seal the fate of the country.
Sameed Basha is a defence and political analyst with a master’s degree in international relations from Deakin University, Australia
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