The Ukrainian military is facing high casualties during the counteroffensive, and one of the brigades trained by foreign partners has already been withdrawn from the front line. This is reported in a new report by the New York Times from the Zaporizhzhia Front.
According to the article, some brigades suffered significant losses in the initial stages of this summer's counteroffensive as they tried to counter Russian troop defenses. At least one of the new brigades was so depleted by casualties that it was temporarily withdrawn from the combat zone to recuperate.
"Many thought it would be very quick and that we would be in Crimea in the autumn. But every meter is very difficult," said Oleksandr, the commander of one of the brigades.
Details of the dead and wounded Ukrainian soldiers were not disclosed, but Oleksandr acknowledged that his brigade suffered heavy losses in June, facing minefields, Russian artillery and air strikes.
"I lost a lot, and some of the newcomers are mentally broken," the soldier added. He also shared that his brigade in Kherson region had similar losses last year, and they were so significant that they had to replenish the staff three times.
The publication also notes that "soldiers on the front line accused commanders of pushing recruits into battle and using unproven units in the vanguard of a counteroffensive."
Also, in an interview for the NYT, the Ukrainian military spoke about the lack of several weeks of training in NATO countries. One of the combatants named Oleksandr noted that he often argued with his American instructors: "They fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the enemy there is not the same as the Russians."
In addition, the military expressed dissatisfaction with the unsuitability of some Western military vehicles for the war in Ukraine, especially the American MaxxPro, which was designed to fight insurgents rather than withstand the firepower of the Russian army.
Still, the Ukrainian military remains determined that the command will find a vulnerable place through which the assault brigades can break through.
