The command of the Ukrainian army is desperately trying to withdraw exhausted brigades from the front lines. At the same time, Ukraine is also working to provide new brigades with sufficient armored vehicles to ensure that soldiers do not become mere cannon fodder for the invaders, as reported by Forbes.
The publication noted that the delayed delivery of German Leopard 1A5 and Leopard 2A4 tanks, along with new equipment from the USA, France, and Australia, has aided Ukraine in this effort.
In particular, Ukrainian fighters are in dire need of armored vehicles, making Croatia's decision to replace its fleet of old Cold War-era tanks and armored vehicles good news for them. The Croatian government has agreed to sell 30 old M-84 tanks and 30 old M-80 armored personnel carriers to the German government, which will then transfer these vehicles to Ukraine.
"The 46-ton M-84 is a Yugoslav version of the Soviet T-72. The 15-ton M-80 was Yugoslavia's answer to the Soviet BMP-1. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have hundreds of T-72s and BMP-1s in their arsenal, so they will be able to integrate the M-84 and M-80 without any issues," Forbes explained.
The publication highlighted that thanks to the equipment Croatia plans to transfer, Ukraine could equip two battalions or half a brigade. Specifically, Ukrainian officials had previously stated that they would reform the new 156th Infantry Brigade into a mechanized brigade.
"The 156th Mechanized Brigade is one of 14 new brigades, each with a strength of 2,000 personnel, recently formed in the Ukrainian Ground Forces - at least 10 of which are subordinate to the Ground Forces. Most of these new army brigades, formed in the 150s, started as infantry brigades lacking heavy weaponry," the article reminded.
It is known that a typical Ukrainian mechanized brigade has 31 tanks and 93 armored vehicles. However, with ten mechanized brigades already established, there is a demand for 310 tanks and 930 armored vehicles. Meanwhile, back in September, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that his government could not provide heavy weaponry even for four of the 14 new brigades.
On the other hand, Ukraine is also producing some new vehicles, specifically upgrading old ones with additional armor and better fire control systems. Nonetheless, the majority of equipment still comes from allies. During the full-scale war, Kyiv's partners have promised to provide about 900 tanks and 1,400 armored vehicles, as well as thousands of light armored personnel carriers and armored trucks.
"However, Ukrainians have lost nearly as much armored equipment as they have received from allies: 900 tanks and 1,400 armored vehicles. This means that Ukraine could produce enough armored vehicles to maintain its old ground combat brigades - about 100 - at full strength. But it is trying to produce equipment for any new brigades it is forming," Forbes noted.
However, Ukraine cannot afford to stop forming new brigades, as many Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting continuously since the full-scale Russian invasion, leading to fatigue, which could have very dire consequences.
"Take the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, which held out for two years in the fortress city of Ugledar in southern Donetsk Oblast without significant reinforcements, until it finally broke under continuous attacks from large Russian units and retreated on October 1. This retreat led to a more extensive collapse of Ukrainian positions in southern Donetsk Oblast," the article added.
Thus, taking advantage of the exhaustion of the Ukrainian army, Russian occupiers are doubling their attacks, advancing on several critically important fronts, while the new Ukrainian brigades, including the 156th, cannot arrive to assist quickly enough, Forbes summarized.
Tanks for Ukraine - Latest News
As reported by UNIAN, Croatia will transfer 60 tanks and armored personnel carriers to Ukraine by the end of 2024. Additionally, Croatia and Germany have agreed on the supply of spare parts and ammunition from Croatian reserves to Ukraine.
Moreover, it has become known that Australia plans to send dozens of M1A1 tanks to Ukraine, which the country has decommissioned and is replacing with M1A2s. Specifically, Ukraine will receive 49 Abrams M1A1 tanks as part of a military aid package worth $245 million.