American military advisors working with the Armed Forces of Ukraine have warned that the number of Ukrainian soldiers receiving training in United States bases across Western Europe has dwindled in recent months, indicating a severe shortage in manpower amid Kyiv’s ongoing fight against Russian forces.
The U.S. training initiative for Ukraine began in April 2022 at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany. This program initially saw around 3,100 Ukrainian soldiers under U.S.-led drills. In January 2023, the program expanded to include training for 12 brigades ahead of Kyiv’s ill-fated summer counteroffensive that year.
In addition to the U.S.-led training, three Ukrainian brigades received training from other European nations. Furthermore, other American instructors have advised a tank battalion and two Ukrainian National Guard battalions on combined arms tactics.
The last brigade trained in Germany departed Grafenwoehr in late January or early February. No other Ukrainian units have received training in the base since then. This development strongly suggests a depletion in the supply of personnel available for training. (Related: Ukraine purchases 50,000 women’s uniforms amid worries that females could be conscripted.)
Reports on Ukraine’s manpower challenges have surfaced in Western media since late last year, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly downplaying the extent of casualties. American and Ukrainian officials acknowledge that the official casualty figures are significantly underestimated, emphasizing the need for Zelensky to motivate more Ukrainian men to join the front lines.
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The Russian Defense Ministry claims that Ukraine lost over 160,000 troops during last summer’s counteroffensive alone, out of nearly half a million casualties since the conflict’s inception in late February 2022. A former presidential adviser to Zelensky suggests a casualty figure of around 300,000.
To address the manpower shortage, Zelensky’s government has recently taken measures to boost mobilization efforts. In December, Zelensky announced plans to mobilize an additional 500,000 troops and introduced legislation to lower the conscription age for men and impose stricter penalties for draft evasion.
In a recent move, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry prohibited men aged 18 to 60 from obtaining or renewing documents, including passports, at consular offices outside Ukraine unless they are registered for mobilization, further reflecting the urgency to bolster military manpower.
Ukrainian soldiers angered by extended service terms
Among the provisions of the amended mobilization law is a clause that extends the service terms of deployed conscripts. Previous versions of the law had promised demobilization after 36 months of service. This limit has been removed, and veterans and active servicemembers are angry.
Without these limits, and in the wake of last year’s failed counteroffensive and prolonged delays in Western military aid, they now fear that their service may only conclude with disability or death.
“The government has demeaned and insulted them,” lamented a soldier’s wife Alina, who resides in Kyiv with her two children. “They’re not immortal. They want to witness their children’s growth, to be present at home.”
Despite the widespread discontent among seasoned soldiers, Zelensky has refrained from announcing a formal mobilization call amid heightened fears of public backlash and anti-government protests.
Instead, he has directed attention to the new law, which passed with 283 votes in favor in the 450-member parliament, largely due to the support of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party.
While the law includes provisions for increased pay for frontline service and enhanced death benefits for families, critics, including Zelensky’s political rivals, denounce the removal of service limits.
“The law lacks incentives and is punitive in nature,” remarked Volodymyr Aryev, a parliamentarian from the opposition party European Solidarity. “It treats defenders as a mere resource, rather than heroes.”
Following the law’s adoption, the parliament urged the government to draft additional legislation concerning the demobilization and rotation of frontline servicemen. However, the elimination of service limits has understandably angered experienced soldiers, especially those who began their service in 2014 amid the conflict’s escalation.
The uncertainty surrounding demobilization has taken a toll on servicemen and their families alike, evoking feelings of depression and demoralization.
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