Ukraine shifts focus: air defence troops reassigned to infantry
The personnel crisis in the depleted Ukrainian army has reached such a level that the General Staff of the Armed Forces (SZU) has ordered the transfer of soldiers from air defence units to the infantry, reports "The Guardian," citing sources in the Ukrainian army. The General Staff claims that this information is "unreliable."
- It’s reaching a critical level where we can’t be sure that air defence can function properly. These people knew how air defence works, some had been trained in the West and had real skills, now they are sent to the front to fight, for which they have no training - said one source associated with Ukrainian air defense to "The Guardian."
They demand lowering the age
There is also a risk that these soldiers, if captured, may disclose significant information. According to sources, further personnel reductions complicate the management of air defence units.
- This has been going on for a year but it’s been getting worse and worse. I’m already down to less than half [of full strength]. In recent days the commission came and they want dozens more. I’m left with those aged 50-plus and injured people. It’s impossible to run things like this - said an AD officer.
In this context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opposes lowering the minimum mobilization age from 25 to 18, despite pressure from the U.S. Zelensky believes that sending young men to the front could deepen the demographic crisis that is already felt in Ukrainian society.
18-year-olds don't want to fight
"The Guardian" notes that Kyiv's refusal to change the mobilization age has provoked irritation in Washington. President Joe Biden's administration argues that Ukraine could increase its army's strength more quickly if it lowered the mobilization age. However, even among Ukrainian soldiers at the front, there are opponents of this solution.
- It’s not about age, really, they need good conditions and motivation. Eighteen-year-olds are still children. Maybe they could lower it to 23 if necessary, but there are still enough people in Kyiv who could be mobilized but don’t want to go - said a soldier from the 114th Brigade.
The U.S. earlier urged Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18 to increase the army's numbers. In response, Zelensky pointed out that the main problem for the SZU is not a lack of soldiers but the insufficient equipment of existing brigades.
Currently, in Ukraine, men aged 25 to 60 are being called to military service. According to Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, by the end of the year, Ukrainian authorities plan to mobilize 160,000 people.
Meanwhile, Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Defence Committee in the Verkhovna Rada, believes that Ukraine needs to mobilize 500,000 people to improve the situation at the front. At the same time, implementing the current plan to mobilize 160,000 new soldiers faces difficulties because the recruitment pace has significantly slowed down - notes Kostenko.
Denials, but not completely
The General Staff responded to "The Guardian" publication. In a statement published on Facebook, it reads that the claim of "redirecting air defence to the infantry is untrue and inaccurate."
However, the General Staff admitted that to properly supplement the personnel of military units that are forming or regaining combat capability, "a certain number of soldiers from the SZU Air Force have indeed been transferred to positions corresponding to their military specializations."
"At the same time, these changes do not apply to air defence specialists who ensure the protection of Ukrainian skies" - it added.
The General Staff added that the situation on the front line is difficult, and the most important task currently is to maintain defensive positions. Decisions to transfer some personnel from support units to combat units are made precisely to fulfill this priority task.
