U.S. and Ukrainian media have reported this morning that 40,000 Ukrainian troops are prepared to depart training areas throughout the country to bolster a large counteroffensive this Spring.
The troops compose more than (8) Brigades, named Hurricane, Spartan, Chervona Kalyna, Frontier, Rage, Azov and Kara Dag, a mountain in Crimea.
According to Reuters: “Border of Steel is one of eight new storm brigades totaling 40,000 soldiers that Ukraine wants to use during a counter-offensive against Russian occupiers in coming weeks or months.”
These troops are reported to be equipped with Western arms such as American and German Main Battle Tanks, mobile air defense, and fully equipped artillery battalions. If Ukraine throws this entire force against a single Russian Grouping of Forces, this could be a significant counteroffensive considering the Kharkiv Counteroffensive used beleaguered troops probably not totaling more than 25,000 troops last Fall. It is not clear if these troops had received NATO training en masse. However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces did comment that these troops have been recruited since December to form these battalions.
