In 80 days of the full-scale war, Ukrainian defenders have totally destroyed 17 battalion tactical groups.
Despite the losses, the Russians still have the advantage over us in heavy weapons. First of all – in aircraft as well as in armored vehicles, multiple launch rocket systems, and artillery. The Minister of Defence Oleksiy Reznikov reported this at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting of the defence agencies heads' level joined by the NATO Secretary General.
"According to the Ukrainian intelligence, the total joint group of forces used against Ukraine (including reserves) has around 167 thousand personnel. 91 BTG are directly deployed to participate in hostilities. 55 more BTG can be involved from reserves and after 1-2 month recovery," – the minister reported.
The Kremlin's main effort is currently focused on attempts to encircle and destroy the Ukrainian Armed Forces' groups in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, creating and holding the land corridor from russia to Crimea and the full occupation of the South of Ukraine. In the fighting zone, russians are intensively shelling civil objects, and residential buildings leading to heavy casualties among civilians.
"The enemy is carrying out missile and bomb strikes at the objects of military-industrial and fuel and energy complexes of Ukraine on our territory. The transport infrastructure elements and logistics hubs are also targets. The Kremlin intensified the missile strikes at the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine and in the area around Odesa," – Reznikov emphasized.
The enemy strikes missiles using long-range aircraft without entering Ukraine's airspace. Also, there is still the threat of cruise sea-based missile strikes (first of all, submarine-launched missiles "Caliber") from warships and submarines in the Black sea waters and the Bastion coastal defence missile systems.
In the North, from where the russians were driven out, they're shelling the border areas of the Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.
Along Ukraine's border with Belarus, the Belarus forces are carrying out active maneuvers. As a result, Ukraine is forced to reserve part of its forces in case Moscow coerces Minsk into a full-scale invasion.
"According to many signs, russia is preparing to lead a long-time military operation. The war is entering its protracted phase. We see that in the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia regions russian occupiers are conducting engineering and fortress construction to go to defence if necessary," – Minister added.
Considering this, Oleksiy Reznikov made a few accents.
First – every day of war leads to losses among our military and huge suffering for civilians. Especially – in the territories temporarily occupied by russia.
"The whole world saw what happened in Bucha. The same "buchas" are right now going on everywhere where russian forces are located. Our people are being kidnapped, tortured, and killed," – Minister highlighted.
The war is destroying the Ukrainian economy. The need for recovery resources is mounting daily. Prolonging the war causes the risk of a global food crisis and another migrant crisis. So, Ukraine is striving to prevail over the enemy and free its territories as quickly as possible. To not let russia drag out the conflict.
"That's why we are very much interested in receiving international aid, to buy weapons as fast as possible and as many as needed. We need tanks, armored vehicles, and long-rage means of destruction (MLRS, heavy artillery, aircraft, missiles). We want to preserve our people's lives," – he emphasized.
Second – it's necessary to increase the efficiency of international aid by better coordination of all the partners' efforts.
In particular, the weapons which we can receive as logistical assistance or under the commercial contracts can come short-term, medium-term, and long-term. Ukraine would like to coordinate the efforts of all the partners – the EU, NATO, US, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan, and other countries – in a way that would allow to:
divide all the possible receipts, so to say, into three baskets: short-term, medium-term, and long-term, to form the necessary capabilities and count on certain opportunities in certain periods of time;
look at all the receipts not only in terms of numbers but also in terms of the criteria of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' capabilities development.
"Particularly, the perfect goal is to receive weapons and military equipment not as separate units but as an organic unit. So that in result we get not just cannons but also counter-battery fire means, control equipment, UAVs for aiming, air defence and missile defence means for cover. The elements of this compound can come from different countries but due to integration we will get the quality advantage," – Reznikov explained.
Third – implementing this approach requires ensuring synergy among the partners. This applies to the military headquarters of the EU and the resources of the European Peace Facility, NATO as well as EUROCOM of the United States and American government programs.
Currently, we don't have an understanding of which exactly needs the EPF addresses. We see only generalized numbers. It leads, in particular, to these resources being directed to the positions that Ukraine generally does need. But they could be provided by countries that can't supply weapons to us. Instead, the EU resources could go to the EU countries for the products only they have," – Reznikov added.
There are also the European Union countries that don't have weapons but want to help.
"In this context, it may be appropriate to consider widening the EPF tools. To add to them an element like a trust fund. So that the EU countries that don't have weapons could transfer funds for management and paying to other EU members for certain items upon Ukraine's requests," – Minister suggested.
Reznikov highlighted that Ukraine really appreciates the support and understands it can't be limitless. That's why Ukraine is interested in using it as efficiently as possible.
According to open-source data, one russian BTG has from 600 to 800 troops. As the US estimated, currently there are 106 such groups of the enemy deployed in Ukraine.