Only about one-third of Ukrainian recruits have a basic understanding of what real warfare is. When on the frontline, these soldiers simply become cannon fodder in the face of enemy fire, Frere said.
"After only three months of short military training, they [Ukrainian soldiers] are sent straight to military units, fighting against militia," Frere said, as cited by the French magazine.
Since the start of the military conflict in Donbass, the Ukrainian Army has lost about 10,000 soldiers dead and twice that many wounded. Some 50,000 soldiers are incapable of fighting for various medical reasons. These numbers don't include soldiers who deserted from the army, the author said.
"At this pace, one more year and the army of Poroshenko will cease to exist," Frere said.
People have been protesting against the mobilization. Many flee the country to avoid being drafted. As many as 1.3 million Ukrainian draftees currently reside in Russia alone.
The Ukrainian military conflict started in April of 2014, when the Kiev authorities started war against self-defense pro-independence forces in Donbass, who rejected the legitimacy of the Kiev government that came to power after an illegal coup in February 2014.
