Speaking with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Brussels after meeting with allies involved in supporting Ukraine, General Mark Milley said public estimates that up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers were dying each day were in line with the US military’s understanding of slaughter on the battlefield. The Ukrainian military suffers from about 100 dead in action every day and 100 to 300 wounded in action, said Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His comments came shortly after a Ukrainian official leading talks with Russia said so much. 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers die every day. Milley offered a bleak analysis of whether these levels are viable for forces loyal to Kyiv. “This is an existential threat. “They are fighting for the very life of their country,” said the veteran commander of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Thus, your ability to endure suffering, to endure victims is directly proportional to the object you want to achieve. “If the goal to be achieved is the survival of your country, you will maintain it,” he concluded, provided he remains in a position of adequate leadership and the army receives the equipment it needs to continue fighting.
Photos: War in Ukraine
This last point has been given special attention in recent days. Questions have arisen among analysts – and some Ukrainian officials have publicly echoed – that the Biden government has not acted quickly enough to equip Ukraine’s army, while at the same time standing by its stated goal of not provoking Russia into a wider war. Europe. The Ukrainian military, which is on the front lines, told US News this week that it was deeply disappointed with the lack of equipment and complexity of the equipment it currently has, especially as it has a proven track record of learning how to use advanced systems quickly. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, drew particular attention to the inability of the Ukrainian army to defend itself proactively against Russian artillery, along with the need for modern-day unmanned aerial vehicles – two special features that, he says, should not surprise anyone who has follow the character of Russian companies since it first invaded Ukrainian territory in 2014. Shortly before the Milley and Austin statements, the White House announced that the United States would send a new $ 1 billion aid package to military supplies – including artillery and coastal defense systems as well as ammunition – to $ 225 million. humanitarian aid. However, it remains unclear whether this will adequately offset the reality in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where US officials acknowledge that Russia has more artillery and many more – 10 or even 20 – combined with advanced unmanned aerial vehicles. and other “weighting” weapons that allow his forces to operate at a relatively safe distance. Milley himself said on Wednesday that “the numbers are clearly in favor of the Russians in terms of artillery. As for the numbers, they surpass and surpass “. Austin on Wednesday rejected questions about claims by Ukraine’s deputy defense minister that the United States and its allies have only provided only 10% of those requested by Kyiv. The Pentagon has acknowledged that it is unwilling to provide advanced systems because they would require excessive training for the Ukrainian military to make their delivery worthwhile. “We remain focused on the needs of Ukraine,” Austin said Wednesday. “We understand what these needs are.” When asked later by a reporter about the deputy secretary’s comments, Austin added: “We just spent time with his boss in the next room.” He said that “they retreated line by line” with what Ukraine demanded, as well as – he added characteristically – “what is relevant in this struggle”.
