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Ukrainian army to soon run out of soldiers to continue fighting — media

The report highlights that, in addition to a manpower deficit, Kiev may also face critical shortages of ammunition and weapons

NEW YORK, December 13. /TASS/. Kiev faces troubling prospects as the Ukrainian armed forces may soon face a critical shortage of military personnel, The New York Times reported, citing intelligence data.

According to the newspaper, Russian troops are moving forward, while Ukraine is experiencing an acute shortage of manpower and "will run out of soldiers soon." The publication also points out that "that’s bad news" for Kiev.

The New York Times highlights that, in addition to a manpower deficit, Kiev may also face critical shortages of ammunition and weapons. The newspaper notes that if US support diminishes under Donald Trump's leadership, Europe may struggle to provide sufficient ammunition or funding to sustain Ukraine's fight.

In late November, John Kirby, the White House National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator, stated that the US was prepared to expand training opportunities for the Ukrainian armed forces if Kiev takes steps to address its personnel shortage. He also reaffirmed that the US remains committed to supplying Ukraine with ammunition and weapons.

General mobilization in Ukraine was announced in February 2022 and has been extended several times since then. On May 18, 2024, the law on toughening mobilization came into force in the country. Nevertheless, in recent months, the pace of replenishment of the Ukrainian armed forces has slowed down and the issue of critical shortage of manpower in the army has arisen. In this regard, employees of territorial recruitment centers began to carry out forced mobilizations more often. Against this background, spontaneous protests of the population against the actions of military officers have become more frequent.

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