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1 1 (November 3, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govejhg0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the Iegislative debate since 1914 Ukrainian Military Performance and Outlook Since Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) have successfully defended against and pushed back Russian forces in many regions, despite several apparent disadvantages. The UAF has demonstrated a great deal of flexibility over the course of the conflict to date, as well as an ability to integrate Western security assistance and training in its military campaigns. The UAF continues to face obstacles sustaining momentum against Russian forces. Ukraine's resistance has come with losses in personnel and equipment, and both sides face risks entering the winter season. Since early 2022, the Biden Administration and Congress have firmly supported Ukraine's defense of its territorial integrity against Russia's invasion. The UAF's evolving state may be of interest to Congress as Members continue to weigh options and conduct oversight over policies to support Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression. Personnel Some observers note that the UAF's impressive overall performance to date has been due in part to the experience and motivation of its personnel. The UAF continues to benefit from high levels of recruitment and motivation. High losses, however, pose a continued challenge to the UAF's ability to maintain effective, sustained operations. After Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the UAF gained important combat experience fighting Russian-led forces in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk (known as the Donbas). This led to a large proportion of trained and experienced veterans among Ukraine's population. These veterans and other volunteers (including foreign recruits) were quickly mobilized into Ukraine's new volunteer Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) and Reserve without the need for lengthy training. The high level of experience and training among recruits meant they were able to operate artillery, tank, and support systems that traditionally require more time for reservists or volunteers to master. These units have been crucial in supporting regular UAF units and enabling them to spearhead operations and counteroffensives. Since the beginning of the 2022 war, the UAF reportedly has suffered high levels of casualties. Losses are likely higher among regular UAF and Special Forces units, leading to a greater reliance on TDF and Reserve units. Unlike the initial period of the war, when most recruits were veterans, most new recruits and volunteers have little military experience and, as a result, take longer to train. The UAF faces two major hurdles to training and deploying new personnel. First, at the time of the invasion, Ukraine did not have a fully developed professional Updated November 3, 2022 noncommissioned officer (NCO) corps, which it had been seeking to develop along NATO standards before the war. The UAF continued to face issues with retention, professional development, and funding. As described previously, the high proportion of trained veterans, many with combat experience, mitigated to some degree the need for an established NCO corps to train and command new recruits. Second, the UAF's need for immediate reinforcements creates pressure to deploy troops with only basic training. To sustain combat operations in the current conflict, however, the UAF has continued training recruits to staff professional units, conduct complex operations, and operate advanced weapon systems. Equipment To date, the UAF has sustained significant equipment losses. Some UAF units appear to be operating without mechanized or motorized vehicle support, likely due to losses and maintenance issues. Despite losses, Western security assistance and UAF resilience in repairing and maintaining equipment has been crucial to UAF successes. Repurposing captured Russian equipment during recent offensives likely has mitigated some losses but is unlikely to be sufficient to meet UAF needs or provide long-term relief for its equipment needs. Ukrainian officials have emphasized their need for long- range rocket and artillery systems to counter Russia's quantitative and qualitative advantage in long-range fire. At the start of the war, Ukraine still relied on Soviet and Russian 122mm and 152mm caliber rocket and artillery systems. Ukraine also had a smaller number of longer-range 220mm and 300mm rocket systems, but it is unclear how many are still in service. The UAF's access to materials, components, and ammunition to operate and repair Soviet- and Russian-era equipment has long been a source of concern. Although some Central and Eastern European defense industries are compatible with Soviet and early Russian equipment, observers say these industries likely do not have sufficient capacity to support Ukraine. Additionally, Russian forces have targeted Ukraine's domestic defense industry, affecting its ability to produce and maintain equipment (including complex weapon systems) to meet UAF needs. However, during recent advances in Kharkiv and Luhansk, the UAF captured large amounts of Russian equipment, much of which has been redeployed after repairs. Ukraine's air force and air defenses have proven effective thus far in limiting Russian air superiority. Russia retains air superiority in certain regions, however, and continues to

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