Ukraine is taking steps to strengthen its ground forces ahead of a potential final push by Russia. The country has ordered the transfer of 50,000 military personnel from all branches of the army to the ground forces to replace combat brigades and ensure the rotation of troops to replace wounded soldiers. This move is intended to guarantee a medium-term rotation system, which would ensure that the front line is always covered.
The order, issued by Commander-in-Chief of the Ukraine Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky, suggests that the conflict could last for another three years. According to the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, the goal is to establish a rotation system that allows for the replacement of units and ensures the continued support of the combat component. Military sources explained that the current resources being trained in training centers are only sufficient for minimal unit replacement, not for total support.
When asked if the decision to implement the rotation mechanism was related to potential negotiations or a freezing of the front line, military sources replied that it was not. The Ukrainian army is capable of making rotations even in the midst of a major war. The additional arrival of troops would represent about a fifth of the total Ukrainian soldiers currently deployed on the front line in Donetsk and around Kharkov.
This development comes after Ukrainian media reported that thousands of Air Force soldiers were being transferred to the ground forces. President Volodimir Zelenski had previously denied that such a measure was being considered. According to Zelenski, the Ukrainian army currently has around 800,000 troops.
However, Ukraine is facing challenges in mobilizing new soldiers, and Russia is taking advantage of its numerical superiority on the front to gain ground in the eastern region of Donetsk. The previous US administration had urged Zelenski to lower the minimum age for military conscription from 18 to 25, but Zelenski has so far refused, citing the need for additional armament before new soldiers can be recruited.
Lowering the minimum age for conscription would likely exacerbate Ukraine’s demographic crisis and make the army’s mobilization campaign even more unpopular. The Ukrainian army’s ability to recruit and retain soldiers is critical to its ability to withstand the ongoing conflict with Russia.