War in Ukraine: "Many inexperienced soldiers will die if we return home"

War in Ukraine: "Many inexperienced soldiers will die if we return home"

An artillery regiment is waiting under the verdant, lush canopy of the Ukrainian spring.

Launching rockets from their fifty-year-old launcher is just a small portion of their work. They spend the most of their time excavating a new bunker into the mountainside.

The Russian invaders are 5 kilometers (3 miles) away in the eastern Donetsk area, and they are getting closer, outnumbered and outgunned.

Although the arrival of American munitions is anticipated to be beneficial, there is controversy about the Ukrainian government's approach to recruiting.

It was criticized because a new mobilization statute that was enacted earlier in April did not include a time restriction on serving. At the army's request, a provision that would have demobilized troops after three years was removed.

The BBC has now been informed by war-weary soldiers that the military needs to "rethink" how it recruits.

In order to recruit replacements, Kyiv lowered the conscription age, but this is more than a simple math problem.

For over two years, thousands of well-trained soldiers, such as Oleksandr, a radio operator in the 21st separate Mechanized Brigade, have been fighting without getting enough rest.

"If we go home," he asserts, "inexperienced soldiers might be able to hold the line against the Russians, but a lot of them will die."

In a bunker with four other troops, he taps his phone as they sleep. The air's thickness indicates that it has been well-lived in.

The appearance of tranquility is created outside by the woods, which is sometimes disturbed by an artillery round whistling above.

When the hard soil of spring arrived this time last year, there was hope and an expected counteroffensive. Moving people and equipment is made simpler by the circumstances.

It just makes it harder for these soldiers to dig fresh defenses these days.

After battling for so long, my soldiers have become pros," proudly declares their leader, also known by the call sign "Chyzh."

He gestures toward their mobile rocket launcher hidden by mesh.

He says, "They know every car is like a woman." "Everyone is unique, with their own quirks and traits."

Their 1970s vehicle, hidden away, represents the status of the Ukrainian military today. Although it has a GPS guidance system and is somewhat outdated in other aspects, it is devoid of a crucial component: rockets.

Russia's army is making progress on many front lines in the east, even if it isn't a model for contemporary fighting. This explains why fresh Ukrainian trenches are being constructed thirty kilometers (19 miles) back.

The invading troops now possess air supremacy and have learned valuable tactical lessons. In addition, Moscow is producing weaponry at a far higher rate than Ukraine and is mobilizing personnel at a quicker pace.

The spirit of "fighting for as long as it takes" that characterizes the Ukrainian government is reflected in our forested trench.

Illia and I meet in the relatively private main square of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine. The troops we encounter may not have felt completely free to talk, but Illia doesn't seem to mind.

Combat medic Illia believes the military has misled people about what enlisting entails.

According to him, it would be more successful if recruiters informed incoming troops that the first six months of training are "extremely difficult," but that after that, they would get more specialized training.

"The infantry is the hardest job in the military," he claims.

Even if Illia is exhausted, it does not sound good to battle in a trench with a terrified conscript. Additionally, he believes that men are being discouraged from enrolling to fight because of a lack of clarity on the reality of the battlefield.

"What if this war lasts 10 years?"

Back in Kyiv, local MP Inna Sovsun explains to me why she did not vote for the mobilization law during our walk along her usual jogging route. Her spouse is a first responder medic.

She says, "I worry about where he is a lot of the time." "It's the experience of millions of Ukrainians."

According to Ms. Sovsun, rotation should be given greater attention since Ukraine has enough men of fighting age to replace the roughly 500,000 who are now serving in the armed forces.

"There are highly trained soldiers who can't be swapped, but what about those who were in trenches?" she inquires. "It takes time to train them, but what if this war lasts for 10 years?"

"We can't pretend to rely on equivalent people who started serving on day one."

Until recently, allegations of past corruption and a decline in volunteers have hindered Ukraine's army recruiting.

Ministers are now working on two main goals: boosting pressure on males to fight and reestablishing public confidence in the system.