Ukraine forms new brigades, but can’t equip them due to insufficient and delayed arms deliveries

Ukraine is addressing its manpower problems and is forming several new brigades. Still, the delay and insufficient supply of weapons by Western partners will likely prevent Ukraine from equipping these new brigades.

Rubryka writes about this with reference to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

"Timely and appropriate Western security assistance continues to be a crucial determinant of when and at what scale Ukrainian forces can contest the battlefield initiative and conduct operationally significant counteroffensive operations in the future," the statement said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Bloomberg interview published on July 3 that Ukrainian forces are in a better position in terms of manpower than a few months ago and that Ukraine's ability to conduct a future counteroffensive operation depends on equipping the brigades with heavy equipment, such as combat mechanized vehicles, armored personnel carriers, tanks and heavy artillery (probably referring to at least ten planned new Ukrainian brigades).

The commander of the Ukrainian brigade operating near Chasiv Yar made a similar assessment at the tactical level, saying that Ukrainian forces in his area of ​​operations needed more ammunition than manpower.

Zelensky said military equipment was taking too long to arrive at the front but repeated his comments about how the slow flow of US security assistance hampers Ukraine's efforts to equip reserve brigades sufficiently to engage them in defense operations.

In recent months, the Ukrainian mass media have constantly emphasized the lack of sufficient material resources to equip all the new Ukrainian brigades currently being formed.

Current reports also suggest that Ukraine will not be able to fully equip all the brigades without the arrival of additional aid from the West.

Ukraine's ability to conduct operationally meaningful counteroffensive operations at a time of its choosing is critical to avoiding a protracted war.

Ukraine has no time and flexibility to wait for security assistance from the West to equip new units. Russian forces are likely now trying to use the initiative on the battlefield to force Ukraine to commit manpower and equipment to ongoing defense operations and prevent Ukraine from building up the crucial personnel and resources needed to seize the initiative.

ISW key takeaways as of July 3

• Ukraine is addressing its manpower challenges and is forming several new brigades, but delayed and insufficient Western weapons deliveries will likely prevent Ukraine from equipping all these new brigades. Timely and appropriate Western security assistance continues to be crucial determinant of when and at what scale Ukrainian forces can contest the battlefield initiative and conduct operationally significant counteroffensive operations in the future.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin is leveraging existing Eurasian-focused and Russian-led international organizations as the cornerstone for his new proposed alternative "Eurasian security architecture."
• Ukraine conducted a naval drone strike against Russian naval infrastructure in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai on the night of July 3 and reportedly damaged energy infrastructure during an aerial drone strike on Belgorod Oblast on the night of July 1.
• Unspecified People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russian companies are reportedly working together to develop a drone similar to the Iranian-designed Shahed loitering munition for Russia to use in Ukraine.
• Russian forces recently advanced within easternmost Chasiv Yar, in the Toretsk direction, and near Avdiivka, and Ukrainian forces recently advanced within Vovchansk, near Kreminna, and southeast of Chasiv Yar.
• The Kremlin continues efforts to position Russian veterans who have fought in Ukraine in official roles in Russian domestic politics.

As reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the line of the active front has increased, and the Toretsky area has been added.

Also, in the Kharkiv area, the enemy is trying to increase the pace of offensive actions and is transferring units.

It should be noted that the United States of America has declared that it will allow Ukraine to fire at a greater distance in case the Russian Federation tries to expand the front of the current hostilities.