The Ukrainian army turns air defense personnel into “infantry forces” and recruits elderly people

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been resisting calls from the administration of US President Joe Biden to lower the conscription age from 25 to 18, pointing to the sensitivity of sending younger men to fight in a society already facing a demographic crisis. But as Russia continues to replenish the ranks of its fighters, it is struggling. The Ukrainian army to find enough young people to fill the gaps at the front.

A series of interviews with Ukrainian officers, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, paint a disturbing picture of the Ukrainian war effort. “The people we are receiving now are not like the people who were there at the beginning of the war,” says a soldier currently serving in the 114th Regional Defense Brigade in Ukraine, who has been stationed in various hotspots over the past two years, adding: “Finally we received 90 people, but Only 24 of them were ready to move to the sites. The rest were elderly, sick, or alcoholics. A month ago, they were walking around Kiev or Dnipro, and now they are inside the trenches, barely able to carry a weapon, which reflects poor training and equipment.”

Two sources in the air defense units told The Guardian newspaper that the deficit on the front had become so severe that the General Staff had ordered the already exhausted air defense units to demobilize more of their members to send them to the front as infantry forces.

Critical level

“The matter has reached a critical level, as we cannot be sure that the air defense can work properly,” one of the sources said, adding that he feels the situation poses a threat to Ukraine’s security.

The source continued: “These pilots know how air defense works, and some of them were trained in the West and have real skills, and now they are being sent to the front to fight, even though they have not received training regarding this new situation.”

The source pointed out that the commanders take advantage of the orders to send soldiers they do not like to the front as punishment. There is also a fear that these soldiers, equipped with sensitive knowledge about Ukrainian air defense positions and tactics, could provide important information if they are captured by the Russians at the front.

Last month, an outspoken and controversial member of parliament, Mariana Pezuhla, claimed in a post on Telegram that air defense forces were being transferred to infantry units, leading to lower success rates for Ukraine in shooting down Russian drones.

Air Defense Forces spokesman Yuri Ihnat confirmed at the time that transfers were underway, saying: “It was very painful,” but denied that this had affected the drones’ downing rates. Those the Guardian spoke to say that increasing demands for transfers make it difficult to manage air defense units properly.

Another source, an officer working in the air defense, said: “This situation has continued for a year, but it has been getting worse. The full strength of the air defense has already decreased to less than half, and in recent days a committee has come that wants to recruit dozens of pilots as infantry soldiers like others.” “I left in the air defense those over 50 years old and the injured. It is impossible to manage things like this.”

Volunteer queues

While the first months of the war in February 2022 witnessed queues of Ukrainians ready to volunteer, and hundreds of thousands of citizens voluntarily went to the front, mobilization remained a major challenge for Kiev over the past year, as teams of conscription officers roamed the streets and distributed call-up papers for conscription. Men of military age have been banned from leaving the country since the start of the war.

Most Ukrainians understand the need for mobilization, but the recruitment policy is personally unpopular, and recruitment teams often face anger and abuse as they search for new recruits.

In a clear indication of changing attitudes in the country, an opinion poll conducted by the Kiev-based Razumkov Center during the summer revealed that 46% of respondents agreed that “there is no shame in evading military service,” while only 29% opposed this.

Kyiv and Washington

The shortage of personnel has led to tense relations between Kyiv and Washington in recent months. Officials in the Biden administration were alarmed after Zelensky and other officials repeatedly demanded more weapons, even though Kiev was unable to mobilize the manpower needed to fill the ranks.

“Military manpower is Ukraine’s most vital and urgent need right now,” White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savitt said in a statement last month. He added: “We are also prepared to increase our training capacity if they take appropriate steps to mobilize their ranks.”

Ukrainian officials feel that public calls by the United States to lower the mobilization age to 18 were sensitive and inappropriate. Ukraine expanded the mobilization campaign in April, lowering the call-up age to 25 years from 27, but the majority of Ukrainians, even those on the front, warn against lowering it further, citing the need to protect the younger generation.

Many soldiers said the way to boost mobilization rates is not by lowering the call-up age, but by offering better incentives and more training. A soldier from the 114th Brigade added: “It’s not really about age. They need good conditions and motivation.” Young people at the age of 18 are still children. “Maybe they can lower the age to 23, if necessary, but there are still enough people in Kiev that can be mobilized but they don’t want to go.” About the Guardian

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A recurring scene

After noon in the city of Kovel in western Ukraine, there was a gray-haired man wearing a military uniform preparing to board the train. A young boy hugged him, holding his knees, insisting that he not let go, so his mother called him as she pulled him away: “Come, Dima, let your grandfather take the train.” After a few minutes, the train departed from the station with the man on board, heading to the east of the country on a long journey towards… The front lines of the fight against Russia. His daughter and grandson waved to him from the sidewalk, both crying.

Such a scene is being repeated now in Ukraine, where the exhausted and depleted army is increasingly made up of older men, and as the country approaches three years of all-out war with Russia, and anxiously awaits the arrival of US President-elect Donald Trump to the White House, the acute shortage of… The personnel on the front represents a major dilemma for Ukraine.

. A shortage of personnel has strained relations between Kiev and Washington in recent months, and the Biden administration has been alarmed after Zelensky and other officials repeatedly demanded more weapons, even though Kiev has been unable to muster the manpower needed to fill the ranks.