How Ukraine’s Arsenal Matches Up Against The Russian-Backed Separatists’

[Purveyor]

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The war looks a lot different than it did a few months ago, however. It’s settling along a single front line, with fewer of the advances and retreats that marked this summer’s fighting.

For the Ukrainians, more and better weapons haven’t been decisive. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Kiev inherited a military that was far too large and complex for a poor country without any clear threats. By the time Ukraine’s leaders began reforming the military structure, the 2008 economic collapse had arrived. The global crisis nearly bankrupt the army, according to a new collection of essays titled Brothers Armed: Military Aspects of the Crisis in Ukraine.

Now the question is whether the outnumbered but heavily armed separatists have enough weapons to push the Ukrainian army farther back — without support from a full-blown Russian invasion. If the answer is no, the result could be stalemate.

But Ukrainian politicians should also be worried about the Russian-backed separatists obtaining even heavier weapons — particularly tanks and artillery — that could help them mount another offensive.

UKRAINE UNPREPARED

The Ukraine army is far larger and more capable than the separatist brigades. Kiev has more than 41,000 combat troops, with several thousand more enlisted in volunteer militias. The total number of pro-Russian fighters is unclear, but estimates range between 10,000 and 20,000 militants.

But the Ukrainian army has serious structural weaknesses that explain why it hasn’t succeeded in quashing the separatists.

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http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/12/02/how-ukraines-arsenal-matches-up-against-the-russian-backed-separatists/

[pampango]

1. Great article, Purveyor. Thanks for posting. "When Russian soldiers helicoptered into Crimea ...

When Russian soldiers helicoptered into Crimea in February, they wore new camouflage uniforms and carried modern black polymer AK-74M rifles. These guns are virtually exclusive to Russia. (Azerbaijan and Cyprus use them as well.) These green-clad gunmen were immediately marked as Russian troops.

Looking for evidence of Russian-supplied guns in eastern Ukraine isn’t as easy as it was in Crimea. As the Ukrainian army advanced toward separatist-controlled cities, however, the rebels began fielding sophisticated weapons used only by the Russian armed forces and a few other select countries. But not Ukraine.

These weapons include VSS sniper rifles and PKP machine guns, which the Ukrainian army does not have. The separatists also carried ASVK recoilless rifles, designed to fire heavy slugs at tanks and buildings. The Russian army began using these in 2012. It is the only army known to use this weapon, with the apparent exception being the separatists.

The rebels also have dozens of tanks. It’s unknown exactly how many. But the bulk appear to be captured T-64s, with several dozen T-72B3 tanks that Russia produced but never exported — until now. These tanks date to 2013 and have modern thermal sights and fire-control computers. The Ukrainians do have several hundred older T-72s in storage, but they are not likely serviceable.

If one accepts that a 'right-wing coup' ousted Yanukovich, it should not be surprising that a military/security force that could not protect the government from a few dozen (hundred?) neo-nazis cannot defeat 10,000 to 20,000 militants armed with the latest in modern weapons which the Ukrainian army does not even have and possibly directly supported by the military of very strong neighbor.