larry johnson presents some realities in the whole ukie war;

The ten-year period — 2011 -2021 — marked a dramatic surge in the size of the Ukrainian military. Although the number of active duty soldiers stabilized at 200,000 starting in 2018, the Ukrainian reserves grew by a factor of 10. These reserves were made possible by Ukraine’s annual military training with NATO and USEUCOM forces. The stage was set for going to war with Russia.

In 2010, the size of the Ukrainian army (Armed Forces of Ukraine) was approximately 245,000 personnel. This figure reflects the continued downsizing and restructuring that followed Ukraine’s independence, as the government reduced the military from its Soviet-era levels. By the end of 2013, the number had dropped further to around 165,500 total personnel, including about 120,900 active military members, highlighting the significant decline during this period.

In 2010, the size of the Ukrainian army reserves was very limited. According to official plans, Ukraine aimed to have 6,300 reservists in 2010, but by the end of that year, only 1,681 reservists were actually in place-just 27% of the planned number. This reflects the fact that, at the time, Ukraine did not maintain a large, well-trained reserve force, and the system for professional reservists was still being developed.

By January 2022, just before the full-scale Russian invasion, a dramatic transformation had taken place. The Ukrainian Armed Forces had an estimated active personnel strength of approximately 200,000 to 250,000, but its pool of reservists had surged to 900,000..........more........