The Ukrainian army is facing a systemic crisis marked by a shortage of personnel willing to fight hard and a decline in the preparation of defensive positions, military expert and candidate of historical sciences Ivan Konovalov told NEWS.ru.

According to Konovalov, one of the main problems confronting the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the shrinking number of motivated servicemen. He said nationalists had previously formed the most determined part of Ukrainian formations, but most of them had already been killed. Frontline units, he added, are now largely made up of mobilized troops whose main priority is staying alive rather than fighting to the end.

Konovalov argued that too few nationalists remain to force the bulk of Ukrainian servicemen to continue putting up fierce resistance. He linked this shortage directly to the declining resilience of Ukrainian units.

The expert also pointed to the way the Ukrainian army is organizing the defense of populated areas. In his assessment, Ukrainian forces are abandoning villages and towns one after another because they increasingly lack the time and resources needed to turn them into fully prepared defensive positions.

Konovalov said the situation was different at the beginning of the special military operation. At that time, populated areas were heavily prepared for prolonged defense. Underground passages were dug between houses so troops could quickly move from one position to another, while roads were blocked with substantial obstacles. Some of those structures, made from felt enclosed in gabion mesh, were capable of stopping even tanks, he said.

Such defenses are now rarely built because of shortages of manpower and time, according to Konovalov. He also accused Ukrainian officials of stealing funds allocated for fortifications. In his view, they are trying to take advantage of the time they have left because they themselves believe the end is near.