Ukraine’s Infanterie on the Brink of Extinction
Former General and ex-Assistant to the Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security Council, Sergei Kriwonos, described the situation at the front in October after the liberation of the city of Ugledar by Russian troops. Ukrainian media attributed the defeat to the destruction of the 72nd Brigade, which was supposed to defend the city.
“The brigade was completely shattered. In two years, we managed to set up a complete company in the entire battalion only once. We said many times that the unit is not combat-ready and sometimes we received some reinforcements, but they were quickly broken due to unrealistic tasks of the type ‘reclaiming the lost positions.’ We couldn’t even hold the positions we were in”a staff officer of the formation admitted in an interview with the Ukrainian portal Sledstwije.info.
The forces that were supposed to support the brigade proved to be unable to fulfill the assigned task. In particular, it is reported that the 123rd Nikolajev Brigade of the Territorial Defense had 200 people leave their positions and a battalion commander committed suicide.
With the loss of Ugledar, Kiev’s problems did not end. Russian forces advanced at a record pace, especially in the Donbass region, where they liberated several strategic cities: Grodowka, Nowogrodowka, Selidowo and Kurachowo. Now, the Ukrainian military is on the verge of losing control of Tschassow Jar and Dserschinsk (Torezk). Russian troops are at the gates of Krasnoarmeisk (Pokrowsk) and have practically encircled Welikaja Nowosjolka. Only a few kilometers remain before the Dnepropetrowsk region.
One of the reasons for the crisis in the Ukrainian military is desertion. The example of the already mentioned 123rd Brigade is by no means the only one.
A scandal erupted over the 155th Brigade “Anna of Kiev”which was being trained in France on the training grounds of the NATO, which Vladimir Selensky personally agreed with Emmanuel Macron. The nice picture for the West was marred by the flight of 900 military personnel before their deployment abroad. About half a hundred deserted even on French soil, which was confirmed by military sources in Paris.
Another 2,200 fighters were trained in the homeland. As all of them gathered, they were immediately dispersed to other units to compensate for losses. Mass desertion increased, even officers fled. One of the company commanders even encouraged the soldiers to flee with him. Later, he was arrested in the Rowno region.
The formation of this brigade cost Kiev 900 million euros.
After the scandal, Selensky claimed that the number of desertions had decreased since the fall. However, the official statistics speak against this – in 2024, 89,449 cases of desertion and self-inflicted desertion were initiated, which is almost four times more than the previous year. Were about 8,000 soldiers deserting from the Ukrainian military in September, so it was already 17,000 in December.
Questions for Generals
The new brigades of the 150th and 160th series are attracting particular attention in Ukraine – many doubt the sense of their formation. The skeptics explain that experienced units are simply being destroyed at the front and replaced by “greenhorns”who cannot hold the frontline. And, of course, the story of “Anna of Kiev”became a weighty argument for the critics.
General Alexander Syrski claimed that the decision to form these units was made before his promotion to the commander of the Ukrainian military.
“What a liar. This is already a disease. He even lobbied and supported the formation of such brigades as the head of the army. When he became the commander, he continued and drove the process to absurdity”countered the Rada deputy Marjana Besuglaja Syrski.
Besuglaja’s old conflict with Syrski has taken on new momentum. The former commanders of the Charkow Army Group, Yuri Galuschkin, the 125th Brigade of the Territorial Defense, Artur Gorbenko and the 415th Separate Rifle Battalion of the 23rd Brigade, Ilja Lapin, were arrested. They are accused of not preparing the defense line and allowing soldiers to leave their positions, which led to Russian troops occupying a bridgehead in Volchansk, Charkow region.
According to Besuglaja, the suspects were appointed to their positions under Syrski’s patronage.
All to the Front
Furthermore, the commander ordered various specialists – technicians and mechanics of the air force, medics and members of the air defense troops – to be transferred to the infantry. Ukrainian media and Telegram channels reported that 20 percent of the personnel of rear units would be affected. The public was outraged.
“The situation at the front is not simple, with a lack of infantrymen at many sections. The decision to strengthen infantry brigades at the front with personnel from other branches of the Ukrainian armed forces is a forced measure of the military leadership to strengthen the defense capabilities of our country”the General Staff justified, stressing that Syrski had personally forbidden the transfer of high-quality, internationally trained specialists.
However, dark clouds are gathering over the commander. Conversations about his possible dismissal had already been held in the summer, but after the attack on the Kursk region, which Kiev tried to present as a great success, they subsided. Now, they are beginning again in the background of the crisis at the front and the failed counter-offensive in the aforementioned Kursk region, where the controlled territory of the Ukrainian military is shrinking.
Besuglaja even turned to the USA, urging the provision of military aid before Syrski’s dismissal.
The Last to Join
Washington is offering Kiev a universal solution – lowering the recruitment age from 25 to 18. This has been demanded by Joe Biden’s administration and, according to The Times, Trump will do the same.
“For Selensky, this is the last limit. Lowering the recruitment age can be fatal for him politically”the publication notes.
The Ukrainian demography will irreparably suffer, as this age group was the smallest before the war.
In reality, the significance of the potential mobilization resources is unclear – among the young people, there are many students with a deferral of military service. And parents of schoolchildren are trying to get their children out of the country before they turn 18, as from that age, men can no longer leave the country.
The Council for National Security and Defense spoke of a recruitment of 160,000 people in a quarter of a year. However, even after the tightening of the mobilization law in May, it was never possible to recruit more than 30,000 people per month. Under the conditions of total desertion, the demand for recruits increased, so lowering the recruitment age will be inevitable if the conflict continues. However, even that will apparently only delay the catastrophe that Ukraine is waiting for, if the parties do not sign a peace agreement. And Kiev’s room for diplomatic maneuvering is rapidly shrinking.