Insufficient Western aid hinders Ukraine's ability to form effective combat units – ISW
Illustrative photo (x.com/GeneralStaffUA)
Ukraine has taken steps to address its manpower shortages within the military. However, delays and insufficient Western military aid continue to limit its ability to build effective combat units, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Recent remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made in an interview with CNN, highlighted that Ukraine needs 14 brigades to be ready for unspecified demands and that the country has been unable to equip even four of these brigades.
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is ramping up domestic production of drones and reallocating equipment from storage or reserve brigades to try to compensate for the shortfall in Western military aid.
According to the President, this inadequate supply, particularly of armored vehicles and artillery ammunition, has led to losses among Ukrainian personnel.
"ISW has long assessed that Ukraine's ability to defend against Russian offensive operations and challenge the theater-wide initiative heavily depends on both the Western provision of military aid and Ukraine's efforts to reconstitute existing units and create new ones," the ISW states.
However, ISW analysts have noted that increasing the number of Ukrainian infantry without a corresponding increase in mechanized equipment will not significantly enhance Ukraine’s combat effectiveness.
Zelenskyy has also stated that Ukraine is currently facing an armament shortage, preventing the country from equipping even four out of the 14 brigades that need to be prepared.
At the same time, Western restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range strike capabilities to target deep into Russian territory hinder Kyiv's ability to effectively counter terrorist attacks.
