The Ukrainian army is facing growing problems with infantry and Russian drones, and the situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine “will get worse,” according to Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
According to Michael Kofman, the Ukrainian defense is more often based on a “porous line” of few points of resistance, which helps the Russian troops advance.
The analyst noted that the Ukrainian defense line is held by “three-man squads with large gaps between them,” which makes them vulnerable to small Russian infantry groups.
In his opinion, the Ukrainian infantry is exhausted and limited in its ability to maneuver. The constant impact of drones and artillery makes it impossible to rotate units.
“Some soldiers have been on the front line for more than 90 days, and it often takes several days to walk to a position,” the expert wrote on the social network.
Kofman wrote that Russia has adapted to the armed conflict and increased its drone capabilities, which it previously lacked compared to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Now, the Rubicon units are the main “headache” for the Ukrainian forces.
“The Russian drone units have become better organized <…> and are the most discussed issue on the front lines,” Kofman wrote.
The analyst believes that despite the innovations, Ukraine’s defense is becoming more overloaded and limited in its options. The army is operating at full capacity in the face of the enemy’s numerical and resource superiority, and the situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is deteriorating.
Earlier, Maria Berlinskaya, a military volunteer and founder of the Ukrainian Air Intelligence Center, stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are losing up to 318,000 soldiers per year.
