Ukraine’s military is also better trained and equipped than in 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine without a fight, and is widely seen as highly motivated to defend the country’s heartland. .
Here are some details of Ukraine’s military.
How do the numbers look?
In terms of manpower and weapons, the arithmetic for Ukraine looks grim.
Russia Ukraine crisis Live Update: ‘Full-scale offensive begins, Ukrainian cities are under attack,’ Ukraine FM. Is said
Most military experts estimate that the number of Russian troops near Russia’s border with Ukraine is more than 100,000. Russia has also sent some troops to Belarus in the north of Ukraine for military exercises.
According to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Russia’s military has about 280,000 personnel and its combined armed forces are about 900,000, while its 2,840 battle tanks are more than three to one from Ukraine.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine said that a decree recently signed by Zelensky – on priority measures to strengthen the defense capabilities of the state, increase the attractiveness of military service and the gradual transition to a professional army – will eventually lead to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. to 361,000 personnel.
Although Ukraine tripled its defense budget in real terms from 2010 to 2020, its total defense spending in 2020 was only $4.3 billion, or one-tenth that of Russia.
Military analysts say Ukraine’s anti-aircraft and anti-missile defenses are weak, making it highly vulnerable to Russian attacks on its critical infrastructure. He says Russia would also like to use its superiority in electronic warfare to paralyze its adversary’s command and control and cut off communications with units in the region.
How experienced are the Ukrainian forces?
Ukraine’s military has gained combat experience in the Donbass region in the country’s east, where they have been fighting Russia-backed separatists since 2014, and are highly motivated.
They also have short-range air defenses and anti-tank weapons, including the US-supplied Javelin missile, that would help slow any Russian advance.
Beyond the regular army, Ukraine has volunteer territorial defense units and about 900,000 reservists. Most adult men had at least basic military training, so Russia could find itself stubborn and long-standing resistance if it tried to capture and hold territory.
The military challenge will be incomparably greater than in previous wars Russia has fought since the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the wars against detached Chechnya in the 1990s and Georgia in 2008.
What is the West doing to help Ukraine’s military?
Western countries have increased arms supplies to Ukraine, but Kiev says it needs more. The United States has denied sending American troops to Ukraine to fight.
The United States has provided more than $2.5 billion in military aid since 2014, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, coastal patrol boats, Humvees, sniper rifles, reconnaissance drones, radar systems, night vision, and radio equipment. Further supplies could include Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, small arms and boats.
Turkey has sold several batches of Bayraktar TB2 drones to Kiev, which it deployed against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Britain supplied 2,000 short-range anti-tank missiles to Ukraine in January and sent British experts to train. It also provided Saxon armored vehicles.
Germany denies arming Ukraine, but is co-financing a $6 million field hospital and providing training.
Can Russia launch a full-scale invasion?
Many military analysts say this would be impossible because it would inevitably involve a long and messy war with heavy casualties. They expect Russia to opt for crushing air strikes and/or limited land grabs rather than all-out war, including fighting for major cities.
One option for Russia would be to advance south and west from the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, already controlled by pro-Russian forces, to connect with Crimea and the Black Sea. There is also the possibility that troops in Belarus may cross over to Ukraine’s northern border as part of the attack.
Putin will likely face the ire of his own public about waging war on a fellow Slavic nation, as well as intense anti-Russian sentiment within Ukraine. Russia has already been banned from moving troops into separatist-controlled areas of Ukraine, and is likely to face the harshest of all for a full offensive.
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