JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s Deepening Fog of War” – New York Times
“Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian leaders are seeking a path forward in the face of ferocious assaults and daunting unknowns.”
“… Even as he presses the case for more Western support … Zelensky is starting to take steps to improve some of the systemic problems under his control. … Kyiv has added several command headquarters to oversee brigades more efficiently. … [W]hile the new top general, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, is a product of the Soviet military system, [] Zelensky has installed a younger generation of generals under him who he hopes will bring more innovation to the battlefield. The minister of defense, Rustem Umerov, has vowed to accelerate the development of ammunition production in Ukraine. He has also introduced a new procurement process to replace a post-Soviet system that was slower and more susceptible to corruption; one goal is to ensure the system integrates more seamlessly with those of other nations. Another initiative is the Future Force Project, which brings together experts from different departments of the government, with [NATO] assistance …. Its mission is to better organize the Ukrainian military for the needs of fighting a large-scale war, seeking to improve things like communication and coordination between branches … based on [Western] best practices ….”
The Verkhovna Rada has been considering a bill reworking Ukraine’s military mobilization process with the potential to draft up to an additional 500,000 conscripts. With Ukraine being a democracy, legislators are sensitive to political repercussions and already have added 1,300 amendments to the legislation. It is not clear when the bill might be ready for a vote.