“Right now, the atmosphere is gloomy. Ground warfare is brutal and exhausting. The average age of Ukrainian soldiers is 44 years old”. An American war correspondent describes for the Republic what the war in Ukraine looks like on the front line

Photo: Wojciech/AFP/Profimedia

On the Ukrainian front, the situation is complicated. The fighting is quite intense: street by street, house by house, as Martin Kuz, war correspondent and author of a weekly newsletter regarding the realities of the front. Martin has been reporting from Ukraine for two years on the full-scale war of aggression launched by Vladimir Putin and says the situation on the front lines is now difficult as the Ukrainian military has faced troop fatigue, low morale in recent months and lack of ammunition to withstand Russian attacks. Moreover, the American journalist wants to specify that “at this moment, the Russian army maintains a great advantage in terms of troops and ammunition, and its commanders do not seem worried about the loss of personnel.”

– What are the weapons currently available to the Ukrainians in the fight with the Russian army?

mainly Patriot air defense systems and HIMARS missile systems. But there are various other Western and Ukrainian artillery systems, including howitzers, and a number of attack and defense drones.

– What exactly does the aid that is now coming to Ukraine from the US look like?

The list is long and varied. It includes long-range missiles, artillery rockets, drones, small arms ammunition, radar systems and armored vehicles. In recent months, with Ukraine’s ammunition reserves dwindling, the Russians have had a 7-to-1 or even 8-to-1 advantage in artillery. Now, US military assistance will help close that gap and give Ukrainian troops a better chance of holding the defense lines.

– Is this American military aid approved by Biden and the US Congress enough for the Ukrainians to turn the tide on the battlefield in their favor?

It is still too early to know this. The Russians have made small gains over the past six months as Ukrainian troops have run out of ammunition. US military aid will take time to fully reach the front lines. Once that happens, we will see if the Ukrainians can recover some of the territory occupied by the Russians. This new infusion of weapons and ammunition should at least allow them to defend their existing front line positions.

– What is the reality at the front line at this moment?

The fighting is quite intense – street to street, house to house. Houses, apartment buildings, schools, churches – so much has been turned into ruins. Drones make operations difficult because they allow both sides to see what the other side is doing. At the moment, the Russian army maintains a large advantage in terms of troops and ammunition, and its commanders do not seem worried about the loss of personnel. So they send wave after wave of soldiers towards the Ukrainian positions, and although the Ukrainians are the more capable fighters, their army is smaller. Thus, as we saw in Avdiivka earlier this year—a town in southeastern Ukraine that the Russians captured after months of heavy fighting—the manpower disadvantage makes it difficult for the Ukrainian military to prevent the enemy from claim more territory. At the moment, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are waging a defensive war.

– What are the main areas where the Russians could break through Ukrainian defenses once they launch their long-awaited summer offensive?

Based on what we are seeing right now, the areas immediately west of Avdiivka in southeastern Ukraine appear vulnerable as Russian forces attempt to advance before US military aid arrives in Ukraine. In recent weeks, the Russians have heavily bombed Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second largest city, which is in the east of the country – and there has been speculation that they may make another attempt to seize it or the nearby city of Kupiansk.

Regarding the Ukrainian army, what are its needs? What problems do soldiers have?

The Ukrainian army has faced troop fatigue, increasingly low morale and ammunition shortages in recent months. With American military assistance new ammunition stocks will be made available and this will raise the morale of the troops. But there is a clear understanding for the Ukrainians that the Russians will not stop fighting. This is why Ukrainian military commanders and politicians, including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, stress that the country will need continued help from the West beyond 2024 to repel Russian forces.

– What is the average age in the Ukrainian army?

Around 43 or 44 years old.

– To what extent does American military aid raise the morale of Ukrainian troops?

The aid is a significant boost, as the Russians have had a huge munitions advantage over the past six months. The aid, which consists of missiles, artillery shells, drones and more, gives Ukrainian forces a better chance of preventing the enemy from capturing more territory. However, Ukrainian troops are exhausted and the end of the war is nowhere in sight. So there’s a pretty pressing awareness that they’re going to have to keep fighting.

-Beyond the front line, how does the war in Ukraine feel more than two years after it started?

Right now, the mood is grim, even with new shipments of US weapons and military equipment. There is a growing awareness that the war could last for many years. There is also the understanding that the West – and the US in particular – may stop supporting Ukraine after this year.

– How long do you think the war will last?

It is a difficult question to answer. I think we’re going to see the fighting continue into next year and possibly beyond. I don’t think Ukraine wants to give up any territory. But if the West pulls back from supporting Ukraine, the government in Kiev could be forced into a position where it feels it has to negotiate with Russia.

– Given your experience in the war zone, do you think that a Donald Trump victory in the US elections will represent a victory for Russia?

A Trump victory in the November election could spell the end of US support for Ukraine, and as we’ve seen over the past six months, that will make it harder for Ukrainian troops to keep the Russians in check. If US support disappears, I hope that EU nations and other NATO members will increase their support for the government in Kiev. But the reality is that the US provides most of the total Western military aid to Ukraine, and if that aid suddenly disappears, the Russian military will have an advantage on the battlefield.

– Does the Ukrainian army have a chance to expel the Russians from all the occupied territories?

I think this will be difficult without more military aid from the West – this year and in the years to come – and without Ukraine mobilizing more young soldiers. As I said earlier, the average age of Ukrainian troops is about 43 or 44 years old. The ground war is brutal and exhausting, so to move forward, the Ukrainian military will need more young soldiers if it wants to retake territories occupied by the Russians.

– What message do you send to the Romanians who do not take peace seriously and applaud the political parties that support Putin’s war in Ukraine?

Will these people who support Putin also applaud when he decides to invade Romania? It may seem unlikely. But if he succeeds in taking over Ukraine, I wouldn’t be surprised if he invades another country. And if that country turns out to be Romania, I’m curious to see how those Putin sympathizers will react when Russia destroys their country and kills their families. Supporting a fascist dictator is a dangerous game. And do the Romanians who support Putin not remember what Stalin did to their parents and grandparents after the Second World War?

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