conflict
Ukraine Reportedly Sending Cooks, Mechanics To Frontlines Of War Against Russia As Manpower Problem Grows Worse
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
By Jake Smith
“It’s a matter of time before the enemy finds a weak spot.”
Ukraine’s manpower problem is growing worse as forces have moved from the frontlines of the war against Russia to stage an incursion into Russian territory.
Ukrainian forces pierced through Russia’s border last week and have now seized more than 400 miles of territory in the Kursk region, in a surprise incursion that caught Moscow off-guard. But the troops that were sent to Kursk were transferred away from other key locations, further exhausting Ukraine’s already alarming lack of manpower against Russian forces on the frontlines of the war, according to the WSJ.
“If we’re supposed to have five or six people in a position, we’ll have two or three,” a 45-year-old army major stationed near the frontlines of the war in eastern Ukraine told the WSJ, adding that the manpower problem had grown so urgent that even cooks and mechanics were being deployed. “It’s a matter of time before the enemy finds a weak spot.”
One Ukrainian commander told the WSJ that when his forces arrived in eastern Ukraine, they had an equal number of troops as Russia did, but now Russia has a manpower advantage of roughly five to one. Only roughly one-fifth of casualties are replaced by new recruits, he said.
The average age of soldiers serving in Ukraine’s infantry is now above 40, according to the WSJ.
“The situation doesn’t allow me to even ask for days off — I’d feel bad leaving,” a 46-year-old platoon commander told the WSJ. “Once it stabilizes, I’ll ask for a break.”
Further complicating matters is Ukraine’s lack of needed military equipment against Russia. While Ukraine has received tens of billions worth of military aid from the U.S. and the West, it has not been enough to match Russia’s armaments, some members of Ukrainian brigades positioned along the eastern front told the WSJ. Ukraine is also limited in its domestic weapons production capabilities, while Russia’s defense industrial base has remained relatively stable and has received help from other Western adversaries, such as Iran and North Korea.
“The Russians have more everything than us—more people, more guns, more shells, more ammunition,” a 46-year-old Ukrainian commander told the WSJ. “In the end, it makes us withdraw.”
Still, the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk has caught Russia off-guard and forced Moscow to transfer thousands of troops to the region to try to regain control, U.S. officials told CNN. Ukrainian forces have reportedly seized more Russian territory in roughly the course of a week than Russian forces have taken in eight months, according to The Telegraph.
The open question now is what Ukrainian forces in Kursk plan to do next. A top Ukrainian official recently said that the incursion is meant to coerce Russia into withdrawing from seized Ukrainian territory.
But privately, U.S. and Western officials told CNN that they were concerned Ukrainian forces could not hold Kursk for long.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MxM News
Quick Hit:
President Donald Trump warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he risks losing Ukraine entirely if he continues resisting a peace settlement. Trump said Moscow is ready for peace, but Kyiv’s refusal to recognize Crimea as Russian territory could derail the effort.
Key Details:
- Trump said Zelensky “can have Peace or… lose the whole Country” and claimed Russia is ready to make a deal.
- Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s refusal to recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea, a key sticking point in current peace talks.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is frustrated and warned peace efforts may end if no deal is reached this week.
Diving Deeper:
President Trump issued a blunt warning to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, saying the Ukrainian leader must choose between accepting peace or facing the collapse of his nation.
“He can have Peace or… fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump posted on Truth Social. The statement followed Zelensky’s firm declaration that Ukraine “will not legally recognize the [Russian] occupation of Crimea,” a stance at odds with a proposed peace plan under discussion in London between U.S., British, and European officials.
Trump blasted Zelensky’s comment as damaging, declaring, “Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion.” The president added that such rhetoric undermines delicate peace negotiations.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said, “I think Russia is ready,” referring to a peace deal, but questioned whether Ukraine is. Kyiv reportedly signed on to a Trump-proposed ceasefire more than a month ago. Trump hinted that progress has been stymied by Zelensky’s reluctance to compromise.
Despite Russian officials signaling a desire to prolong negotiations—with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing Trump’s efforts as “futile”—Trump maintained optimism, stating, “I think we have a deal with Russia… we have to get a deal with Zelensky.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s patience is wearing thin. “President Zelensky has been trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press, and that’s unacceptable,” she said, calling for closed-door diplomacy. “The American taxpayer has funded billions… enough is enough.”
Trump, 78, has consistently criticized Obama for allowing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea to go unanswered. Now, under the Trump administration’s push for peace, a senior official revealed the U.S. is considering recognizing Crimea as Russian territory—a reversal of longstanding American policy based on the 1940 Welles Declaration.
Still, Trump refrained from criticizing Vladimir Putin directly, instead blaming Zelensky for inflammatory statements. “He has nothing to boast about!” Trump said, referencing a heated Feb. 28 Oval Office exchange with Zelensky and Vice President JD Vance.
“I have nothing to do with Russia,” Trump wrote, “but have much to do with wanting to save… five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week.”
Trump warned that time is running out: “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE.”
With London talks underway and pressure mounting, officials hinted that if no agreement is reached this week, the U.S. could walk away from its efforts in Eastern Europe. Asked whether Trump is ready to give up, Leavitt said, “Not by the end of the day today… but the President… needs to see this thing come to an end.”
From LifeSiteNews
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is calling the EU/UK bluff here because he knows without the U.S. the EU/UK will not commit to fight Russia.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to reporters in Paris on April 18 about the prolonged peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, a frustrated Rubio warned that the U.S. could “move on” from its involvement in negotiations to end the war if no progress is made “within a matter of days and weeks.” That’s the mainstream media narrative.
The non-pretending summary is that Ukraine, France, Great Britain, the EU, NATO, et al are all trying to retain their interests in the conflict. Russia has simple terms, but the war machinery controlled by the intel apparatus (CIA and EU) and the financial stakeholders in the EU region are unhappy. A frustrated Secretary Rubio says, make up your mind, if no deal – we’re done.
Having followed this very closely, here’s what “we’re done” likely means.
President Trump ends the U.S. side of the proxy war. President Trump pulls back all support for Ukraine, stops sending money, weapons, and, to the extent he can, intelligence to Ukraine. This opens the door for Russia to go full combat as the ground thaws, without concern for U.S. to engage.
The EU will have to step up with funding, intelligence, and war material to continue supporting Ukraine. Rubio is calling the EU/UK bluff here because he knows without the U.S. the EU/UK will not commit to fight Russia.
Remember that if no one does anything, Russia has already gained the ground they want and will just continue grinding western Ukraine to ever-expanding rubble. Factually, doing nothing is a big win for Russia, especially if Trump withdraws.
Reprinted with permission from Conservative Treehouse.
BREAKING: THE FEDERAL BRIEF THAT SHOULD SINK CARNEY
CHINESE ELECTION THREAT WARNING: Conservative Candidate Joe Tay Paused Public Campaign
Ottawa Confirms China interfering with 2025 federal election: Beijing Seeks to Block Joe Tay’s Election
Mark Carney Wants You to Forget He Clearly Opposes the Development and Export of Canada’s Natural Resources
-
2025 Federal Election1 day agoTrump Has Driven Canadians Crazy. This Is How Crazy.
-
2025 Federal Election2 days agoCarney’s Hidden Climate Finance Agenda
-
2025 Federal Election1 day agoThe Anhui Convergence: Chinese United Front Network Surfaces in Australian and Canadian Elections
-
Automotive14 hours agoHyundai moves SUV production to U.S.
-
2025 Federal Election1 day agoStudy links B.C.’s drug policies to more overdoses, but researchers urge caution
-
2025 Federal Election2 days agoConservatives promise to ban firing of Canadian federal workers based on COVID jab status
-
International2 days agoPope Francis Got Canadian History Wrong
-
2025 Federal Election2 days agoWhen it comes to pipelines, Carney’s words flow both ways