Ukraine’s newest heavy brigade is getting whatever tanks are left over. Most of the army is short of armor and troops, too
Ukraine has too few troops and too few tanks. One "poor" brigade is a poster child for the battlefield shortages.
Ukraine's newest heavy brigade, the 29th Heavy Mechanized Brigade, is receiving whatever tanks the army has left over. The army is severely lacking in armor and troops, with brigades often going into combat with half their allotted infantry and vehicles. The infantry shortage is considered the main reason Ukraine fights with drones and ground robots.
The brigade's mix of old and new vehicles, including BTR-60 and M-113 armored personnel carriers, T-72 tanks from the 1970s, and 2S22 howitzers, highlights the lack of a consistent armored vehicle pool. Ukraine's equipment losses, both from the battle and general wear and tear, mirror the human losses suffered. The brigade, having stood up last year, is still not ready for action, with only a skeleton crew of BTR-60s and M-113s, T-72 tanks, and 2S22 howitzers.
The shortage is a result of slow incoming foreign donations, slow deliveries, and losses on the battlefield. If there were 31 free tanks of any type, the brigade could simplify training and maintenance by using a single tank model, but this is not the case. Most brigades have four or more tank, mechanized, and motorized battalions requiring at least 120 vehicles, but most currently have fewer than 50 armored vehicles, effectively making them a battalion rather than a brigade.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
