The weaknesses of the Russian armed forces are well known, but little is known about the Ukrainian military. Former colonel and military strategist Glenn Grant analyzed the situation in “Die Welt” newspaper. He served in the British Army for 37 years and has been based in Ukraine since 2010. He advised the Minister of Defense and is now an employee of the “Institute of Ukrainian Future Affairs”.
“Many commanders still adhere to the old rules from the Soviet era, and they lose them »Character, training and skills«. They rely on bureaucracy and rules rather than taking responsibility.
2. Ambiguous Responsibilities
The magazine writes that each military unit must know in which area it is to operate. Under no circumstances should different units operate in the same area. “I spoke to a member of a Ukrainian battalion over Christmas and he told me that he had fired on Ukrainian special forces twice and almost shot another unit,” says Grant.
3. Ego within branches
According to Grant, a military strategist, there is no concept of “one army” in which all soldiers feel a sense of solidarity with each other. Many areas within the armed forces work alongside or, at worst, against each other. Another “serious problem” is that ground troops are “in many respects treated second-class” by their compatriots, according to Die Welt.
4. Practice with disabilities
According to the NATO model, “joint training” should ideally be conducted within larger military units, such as a battalion, regiment or division. Instead of central control, orders should be given to the lowest level possible, as in tank crews. However, this has been a problem in Ukraine more than once.
5. Too much bureaucracy
The German newspaper points out that many restrictions in the army are still “Soviet-style”. Simply put: there are too many regulations, and orders from above often arrive too late because they get bogged down in the decision-making system.
6. Inadequate medical care
The care of the wounded by doctors and medics was not serious: “The lack of qualified soldiers who could give first aid in the field was reprehensible,” writes Grant in Die Welt.