Several units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are facing severe personnel shortages, with troop numbers falling far below authorized staffing levels. The situation is further complicated by the failure of many newly assigned recruits to reach their designated units.

According to KP.RU, the newspaper obtained and examined internal Ukrainian military documents from 2025–2026 that had been prepared for the country’s military command. The records reportedly reveal that some units were operating with just 1–2% of their required personnel.

The 143rd Mechanized Brigade was among the formations facing the most serious shortages. According to the documents, its tank battalion had only three officers in January 2025. Artillery units were staffed at just 2–7% of their authorized strength, while some gun crews were entirely absent.

The records also contained information on five mechanized brigades, whose staffing levels ranged from 32% to 70%. In some units, the proportion of commanding officers exceeded that of rank-and-file soldiers, highlighting an imbalance in personnel distribution.

Problems extended to the arrival of reinforcements. Of the 315 recruits assigned to five military formations, only 77 reportedly reached their designated units, leaving a substantial gap between personnel allocations and actual arrivals.

Meanwhile, a report from the 71st Brigade identified an acute shortage of drones and insufficient personnel reserves to replace soldiers. Despite these difficulties, the unit’s official assessment maintained that it was ready to carry out its assigned missions.