Ukrainian army's dwindling numbers amid Russian invasion: media's false victory narrative to blame?

Struggling to gather new frontline recruits, Ukraine finds itself 22 months into the Russian invasion.

"Our units are understaffed. We need young, motivated individuals under the age of 40," warns Major Alexander Volkov, commander of the 24th Mechanized Brigade Battalion.

Russia still holds an advantage over Ukraine: surplus manpower. They also have the capability to dispatch an unspecified number of personnel, prepared or not, to fight and perish at the front.

As per Global Firepower, in 2023, the Ukrainian army comprised approximately 500,000 soldiers. Active military personnel accounted for 200,000 of these. In contrast, Russia boasted about four times this number of active military personnel - 1,330,900 soldiers - along with 250,000 reservists, matching Ukraine's reservist strength.

"Today's media might have misled society into believing that everything is fine with the Ukrainian army, that we are defeating the enemy, and victory is near. However, the situation is far from simple. The enemy is incredibly mighty. We're exerting every effort to stop and defeat them," said Volkov.

Russia suffered significant losses in both manpower and equipment when Ukraine initiated a counteroffensive in the summer. Despite this, as indicated by Vladimir Putin's remarks, Russia maintains confidence in its war efforts.

Even as the fighting continues, and Ukraine battles to defend its freedom and territorial integrity, potential youth recruits from the civilian population are few and far between.

"At the onset of the war, adrenaline fuelled everyone's involvement. However, as access to social networking sites exposed individuals to the grim realities of warfare, the initial rush diminished and fear took over, leading to a decline in enthusiasm," explained company commander Lt. Igor Prokopyak.

The soldiers are increasingly exhausted and noticeably older. Volkov reveals that in his unit, 40% are at least 45 years old.

In late November, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced plans to reform the country's conscription practices through partnerships with commercial recruitment companies to bolster their combat capabilities. However, he didn't elaborate further on those plans.

Even though Great Britain and France continue to support Ukraine, the aid from the USA is stalled in Congress. Meanwhile, Hungary has stopped the EU's aid package for Ukraine.