Deployment of foreign troops: will their presence strengthen Ukraine’s security? Serhiy Zgurets' column

Deployment of foreign contingent in Ukraine

The meeting discusses ways to strengthen the Armed Forces of Ukraine as the basis for any format of security guarantees for Ukraine, as well as the possibility of deploying contingents of individual European states, the so-called guarantee forces, to Ukraine.

All these plans will be implemented after achieving a ceasefire with the enemies, which is a rather challenging task at the moment. The situation on the battlefield continues to play a decisive role in achieving political goals, both for Ukraine and for the enemy. The Ukrainian military-political leadership currently believes there are signs of the Russian group preparing to intensify military actions in several directions on Ukrainian territory. Moreover, since the beginning of spring, there has been an increase in the intensity of combat along the entire front line. The daily number of enemy attacks often exceeds 200 combat encounters, with each sector of the front having its own specific characteristics. A common feature is the significant concentration of enemy forces.

Frontline situation: Novopavlivka sector

Kostiantyn Polishchuk, call sign "Docent," the commander of the platoon of the 71st Separate Jäger Brigade, responsible for defense along the line of Novosilka, Pryvilne, and Burlatske, shared the current situation in the area of responsibility. The enemy had been carrying out active military operations for a prolonged period. Eventually, the intensity of attacks decreased, but the open terrain provides conditions for various types of offensive actions by the enemy. Primarily, these are infantry assaults, occasionally reinforced with armored and motor vehicles.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 29 - April 5, Photo: Espreso

Last month, the destruction of the Russian motor vehicles reached record levels - over 3,500 units of various buggies and cars used by the enemy to transport infantry to landing sites. Ukrainian forces proactively detect such attempts and, thanks to the use of drones, destroy at least 70% or even more of the targets the enemy attempts to bring closer to our defense line.

"Docent" states that over the past three weeks, the Russian tactics have largely involved using small infantry assault groups consisting of two to three or five individuals. They accumulate near the contact line and move through woodlands, where they are destroyed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Currently, the primary focus is on small infantry groups. Armored vehicles are used exclusively for transportation, such as tanks, trucks, light vehicles, and sometimes even bicycles. The fighters then proceed on foot until they are detected by the Ukrainian military.

"Overall, we successfully repel these attacks using drones, remote mining, artillery, and mortars. Reconnaissance drones help detect the enemy in shelters, woods, or ruined buildings, after which we effectively eliminate them," says the soldier.

The Russians may be waiting for reinforcements from the Kursk direction, but this is unlikely to significantly change the situation, he added. Russians are unable to organize a breakthrough, and any concentration of forces is detected and subjected to fire strikes.

The Russian occupiers are losing even the remaining equipment, using old models and repurposing them for combat. For transportation, they rely on trucks, vehicles, and anything else capable of reaching the destination. This only prolongs the time it takes to destroy their equipment, but it will not lead to significant strengthening or improvement of their situation.

Drones on the front line

Regarding drone modernization, it is likely time to standardize technical requirements given the vast number of manufacturers. However, this issue remains debatable, according to "Docent."

"On one hand, the excessive number of manufacturers complicates the adaptation process of the equipment. On the other hand, the procurement, production, and delivery of state drones to units takes a lot of time. During this period, frequencies may change, complicating their use. Therefore, it is advisable to equip drones with additional modules for frequency and video communication adjustments. This would allow units to modify configurations depending on combat conditions. However, even the drones currently arriving have immense potential for operation," he noted.

According to him, there are manufacturers that have gained special trust due to their quick response to our requests and the supply of high-quality samples. Over the two years of cooperation, the military has gone through a challenging path. They have improved their products, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as much as possible, have provided assistance. As a result, they created high-quality drones, and the military maintained effective communication.

Recently, brigades have the opportunity to purchase drones directly from these manufacturers. This significantly speeds up logistical processes, ensuring effective operations. When drones come from stock, it is often impossible to determine when they were manufactured and how long they have been in storage. This requires additional resources and time to prepare the drones for use, says Polyshchuk.

"For each brigade, it is crucial to have enough funds and resources to independently purchase the necessary equipment. Each brigade has its own specific needs and different requirements for drones. Therefore, the ability to independently select means of attack is critically important for effective operations. 

As for the need for FPV drones within a brigade, it is impossible to determine a specific number since the needs depend on the number of units, the type of formation, the number of crews, the width of the combat zone, and other factors. For example, in a moderately active zone, one crew may use approximately 15–20 drones per month. During assault operations, this number can increase to 30 drones, but anything beyond that becomes problematic," he noted.

In terms of drones used by the enemy, there is a certain balance between fiber optic drones and other types. One of the options to protect against such drones is to use fishing nets or other barriers. 

“Any possible means of preventing the drone from reaching its target should be considered. Logistics routes can be protected by obstacles that can delay drones. Vehicle defenses, such as turrets, are also being developed, but their implementation will take more time,” the military said.

Zaporizhzhia direction

Approximately three weeks ago, on March 13, the Russian forces intensified offensive operations to break through to the Kamianske-Orikhiv road. The Russians managed to capture the village of Piatykhatky. During the assault operations, the Russians mainly used the capabilities of their airborne troops to capture Piatykhatky and further attack Stepove.

Ukraine Russia war live map, March 29 - April 5, Photo: Espreso

After that, the Russian troops made constant attempts to secure positions on the outskirts of other settlements: Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky, Shcherbaky, and advance towards the road. However, all of the Russian successes have been limited to achievements from three weeks ago. Currently, the enemy's advance has practically stopped, and the dynamics of the combat actions have decreased.

Similar to other directions, there is also observation of either a regrouping of Russian forces or the expectation of reinforcements from the Kursk region. According to some assessments, there could be a transfer of remaining airborne units fighting in the Zaporizhzhia direction to the front lines to strengthen Russian forces. This assumption still requires confirmation, but it is known that the 128th Separate Brigade is effectively holding the defense in this area. The brigade has been defending for a long time, repelling Russian assaults, and conducting counterattacks.

Yaroslav Halas, a spokesman for the 128th Brigade, noted that the escalation began about a month and a half ago. Since then, the situation has not changed much. Sometimes there are periods of relative calm, but they are mainly due to weather conditions. 

“It's been raining here lately, and mud has formed. Only today the weather was clear and dry. When there was bad weather, there was an intensification of assault actions by Russian troops, as they realize that our unmanned systems cannot work as efficiently as possible in such conditions. During this period, cannon artillery, rocket artillery, and mortars become more important, especially at short distances. Over the past week, the situation has remained stable, with attacks on our positions taking place daily, sometimes several times a day,” the military said.

According to him, all settlements in the brigade's sector of responsibility are either under infantry or fire control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Russian aggressor is trying to break through and gain a foothold every day, but these attempts remain unsuccessful. 

Earlier this week, for example, there was an assault involving about a platoon of 30 infantrymen and armored vehicles: Armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and airborne fighting vehicles. The Ukrainian armed forces first covered this convoy with artillery, and then attack drones destroyed three infantry fighting vehicles. The assault failed, and the Russians were forced to retreat, Halas said.

Most often, in addition to large infantry groups, assaults are carried out by small infantry groups of up to four people. They move around on vehicles such as ATVs, motorcycles, and buggies. The Russians use them as expendable material. Their goal is to quickly reach a given point, after which the equipment is abandoned. They realize that such equipment will be destroyed by Ukrainian drones in a short time.

"When foot assault groups are formed, usually consisting of up to four people, very often one of them is assigned the role of a 'camel' or 'donkey.' This person walks at the rear and carries the ammunition: loaded magazines, grenades, and other equipment. The other three infantrymen are the assault troops who move forward with the task of securing a position. Usually, the 'camel' doesn't even carry a rifle in order to increase the amount of carried ammunition," the serviceman noted.

Daily assaults, both mechanized (e.g., using quad bikes) and foot assaults, although they take place several times a day, do not lead to successful entrenchment of the Russians in populated areas.

Barbed wire or other barriers to hinder the enemy's advance, in addition to minefields, are used every night, including remotely with specialized bomb-dropping drones. Russian logistics and approaches to Ukrainian infantry positions are mined. The passage is also obstructed using coiled rolls of barbed wire, which are unraveled in the air, covering our positions for several dozen meters. This significantly helps our infantry.

Regarding the use of drones in combat, it should be noted that although their role in war is significant, they cannot be a panacea. Drones are dependent on electronic warfare (EW), weather conditions, and other circumstances, Halas says. 

Contract 18-24

The brigade joined the project just a week ago. Many young people are already interested in this initiative and are contacting the recruiting department. However, there is some bureaucracy: they need to pass a medical examination, collect all the documents and sign a contract. Therefore, it is too early to talk about the recruits joining the brigade. However, the project is already in place, and this is a big plus, said a spokesman for the 128th Brigade.

In addition to Project 18-24, the brigade's recruiting department offers other positions, not just infantry. 

“The project is primarily focused on infantry positions, but we also need UAV operators, drivers and officers. Due to the expansion of the unit, new vacancies appear, which provides opportunities for those who want to join the defense of our country.

I would like to remind you that the 128th separate mountain assault brigade is the oldest combat unit in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We really have very competent commanders at the company and battalion level, as well as well-built interaction between all units. Even the infantrymen who bear the heaviest burden of service, staying in our brigade, do not seek to move to other units,” the military noted.