Soldiers tired, reserve brigades not equipped – Zelenskyy on situation in Ukraine's east

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has explained that rotations on the front line cannot take place as long as reserve brigades are not equipped with weapons and equipment. This is why soldiers on the front line are forced to retreat due to the Russian advance and their own fatigue.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Ukrainian Radio

Quote: "The guys on the front line are standing there, and they need rotation to rest, take a break, and so on. 

Other brigades are supposed to take their place. But imagine, these other brigades are not properly equipped. Are we supposed to throw them there like cannon fodder, like the Russians do? No one wants that; they are just standing still. 

The guys [from the front line – ed.] get tired, they retreat. They are being attacked with aerial bombs, and they’re exhausted. They ask if they can take steps back, and the military leadership allows it. 

Because our stance is that the human comes first, and then the land.

People must be confident that when they withdraw, a well-equipped brigade will take their place, ready for the oncoming attack. 

We had an agreement on the number of these brigades, but their staffing is happening very, very slowly."

Details: Zelenskyy emphasised that, due to the lack of equipment, new brigades are not being created. 

However, he added that reserve units have been formed with experienced personnel who have already fought in the war. 

Zelenskyy said that instances where new brigades are being formed while the stronger brigades lack personnel are rare occurrences.

The president predicts that once the reserve brigades are fully equipped, the Russian advance in Ukraine’s east will come to an end.

Background: Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had not received even half of the weapons officially allocated by the United States and that Europe had helped Ukraine just as much as the US. 

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