BERLIN, July 29. /TASS/. The Ukrainian armed forces are essentially in a state of constant retreat, lacking the necessary military personnel to do otherwise, Colonel (Ret.) Ralf Thiele, a retired Bundeswehr officer, opined.
"The Ukrainians are in a de facto [state of] gradual retreat. <...> The shortage of personnel in the armed forces, above all, remains the main problem [for Kiev]," he told the n-tv channel. The general also noted that the superiority of Russia's economy and defense industry over Ukraine's has turned into a significant problem for the Ukrainian army, which still relies on military aid from the West.
On 23 July, Estonian Defense Forces reserve major-general Riho Uhtegi said that Ukraine was "patching up holes" with mobilized troops at particularly hard-hit sections of the front. According to him, Ukrainian units are undermanned, and units filled to about 60% are allowed on the front lines. Uhtegi also noted that new Ukrainian servicemen arriving at the front often receive only a week's training at a training center and are therefore poorly trained.