analysis
Why long deployments, scarce supplies and high losses undermine the combat effectiveness of the Ukrainian army.
04/29/2026, 09:54April 29, 2026, 10:08
Ukraine’s defensive battle against Russia is stretching its troops to their limits – physically, psychologically and organizationally. New reports show: Long deployments, inadequate supplies, false numbers and increasing desertions are taking a massive toll on soldiers.
A non-commissioned officer looks thoughtfully at the memorial for the fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Kiev.Image: keystone
Although the overall military situation for Kiev – primarily because of the massive use of drones – is currently much better than it was six months ago, four particularly serious developments in Ukraine are making headlines and generating heated discussions among the population.
40 days until the frontline soldiers surrender
A new study by the Ukrainian military ombudsman shows how quickly front-line service wears down its own soldiers: those who stay at the front line for more than 40 days without a break often develop apathy and “no longer care whether they survive or not.”
Ombudswoman Olga Reshetylowa speaks in interview with the “Ukrainska Pravda” of massively declining combat effectiveness. There is actually a limit of 15 days per deployment. “But this is an outdated norm that no one adheres to, which in turn means that there are no longer any restrictions at all,” complains Reshetylova. Due to a lack of personnel and the indifference of their superior commanders, many soldiers remain without relief for months.
A Ukrainian soldier with a drone.Image: keystone
The investigation reveals a core problem: not only are weapons missing, but also rotations, predictable working hours and psychological relief. In the interview, Reshetylova announced a petition to Commander-in-Chief Sirsky to “change the instructions on remaining in the positions.”
Supply problems almost to the point of starvation
It is a scandal that has shocked the whole of Ukraine. Pictures of emaciated Ukrainian soldiers have been circulating from the Kupyansk area for several days, which hardly differ from historical photographs of concentration camp prisoners. They are accompanied drastic shots of reports that frontline fighters were not provided with adequate food and water for up to 17 days.
The pictures were taken by the daughter of one of the affected soldiers public made. The Ukrainian General Staff immediately acknowledged serious logistical problems: Russian air and missile attacks on crossings over the Oskil River had massively hindered supplies. Supplies sometimes only reach the front by boat or with heavy drones. In addition, there was the use of Russian drone units that specifically hunted supply vehicles.
Ukraine is struggling with supply problems.Image: keystone
At the same time, the military leadership failed: local commanders are said to have glossed over the situation and concealed problems in the Soviet style. The consequence: the brigade chief was removed and a corps commander was demoted. According to media reports, Chief of General Staff Sirski commissioned a major general to carry out a comprehensive investigation and inspection of the supply routes.
Embellished loss figures
Kyiv rarely talks about its own losses – and when it does, it does so cautiously. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj said in a statement at the beginning of February interview with French television the number of 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since the beginning of the war. However, observers and Western think tanks consider this figure to be too low.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington estimates total Ukrainian losses by the end of 2025 at 500,000 to 600,000 soldiers, including 100,000 to 140,000 dead. CSIS cites this in its study based on information from the news site Mediazona and the BBC’s Russia bureau. This has been collecting death figures since the beginning of the war by systematically recording death notices and war graves.
Portraits of fallen soldiers in Kyiv.Image: keystone
The CSIS puts the total Russian losses since February 2022 at 1.25 million men, including 325,000 killed. The BBC reports 214,000 confirmed Russian casualties
Other evidence also raises doubts about Zelensky’s information: Since 2025, Ukraine has received back more than 16,500 remains during body exchanges. Like Russia, Ukraine also reports high enemy losses on a daily basis, but remains vague about its own losses – for reasons of morale, mobilization and operational security.
Desertions on a large scale
In addition to death and resignation, desertion is becoming an increasingly bigger problem. According to the inaugural speech by the new Defense Minister Fedorov, around 200,000 Ukrainians left the front without permission or deserted last year. That would be a dramatic figure for an army that is already suffering from an acute shortage of personnel.
The Warsaw Center for Eastern Studies writes of 300,000 new recruits that Ukraine needs every year. In 2024, however, there were only 200,000. When soldiers have to fight without clear relief, with poor supply conditions and under enormous psychological pressure, the tendency to run away increases. The army ombudsman Reshetylova speaks of 1.6 million Ukrainians who could be mobilized under ideal conditions, which would allow regulated rotations and fewer reasons for desertion. (aargauerzeitung.ch)