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Is Ukraine really ready to deal with the Russian invasion?
Russian forces are already attacking Ukraine from different points.
President Vladimir Putin made a huge modernization and investment in his Armed Forces, which made it surpass Ukraine in terms of soldiers and weapons.
Military specialist at the Royal United Services Institute in the United Kingdom, Jack Watling, believes that Ukraine remains in a difficult position today.
On his return from Ukraine, he assured that the country's military leaders are facing many difficult decisions.
He also indicated that the Ukrainian people are being threatened in different directions and that their forces are totally dispersed.
It is estimated that Russia had 190,000 soldiers located on the border, this would be a much larger total than the regular Ukrainian army, which is made up of only 125,000 soldiers.
Defense in Ukraine will be a bit complicated as it has to protect thousands of kilometers of its border, from Crimea in the south to Belarus in the north.
Former British Army Brigadier Ben Barry, a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said this is a difficult position for defense.
Russia overtakes Ukraine in airspace
On the border, Ukraine has 105 warplanes and Russia has 300 planes, so it is predicted that in the air field Russia will be able to win and take control quickly.
The Russian air defense system is advanced. It has the S-400 missiles, which give its forces a great advantage. Whereas, Ukraine has limited and old air defenses.
The military specialist, in his remarks, used the example of Israel, which can exercise defense from multiple directions, but has only done so because of its superiority in the air, something that Ukraine does not possess.
Moscow has developed its own version of "shock and awe," with special integrated missile, long-range rocket and air artillery, Barry reported.
This allows the Russians to carry out attacks, regardless of distance, directly at the command and control centers, air force, ammunition depots and the various Ukrainian air defenses. Which already started by cruise missile attacks on targets in the mediations of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.
For this reason, Watling insists that the Russian forces possess a significant number of up-to-date weapons and certain capabilities that Ukraine could not offer an answer to, such as the Iskander cruise and ballistic missile systems.
Recently, a supply of deadly aid was sent from the United States and the United Kingdom to Ukraine. However, most are very short-range air-to-air missiles and certain anti-tank weapons.
Russia would be surpassing Ukraine in distance and weapons.
The Russian force has long-range air and weapons capabilities, thus endangering Ukrainian forces and they could soon be immobilized.
In this way, the maneuvers of the Ukrainian forces could be prevented, as well as their repositioning that would allow them to confront the Russian advance.
In the east of the country most of the units with the best training and the best equipment of Ukraine are located. These would be close to the line of control in Luhansk and Donetsk, territory where there has been fighting since 2014.
Western intelligence officials reported that there is great concern of the possible encirclement by Russian forces of the Ukrainian country. Despite that, Ukraine's defense is better equipped and prepared compared to when Russia proceeded to invade Crimea.
Soldiers and units have gained significant battle experience fighting Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
However, the force was initially involved in linear trench warfare, so "maneuver warfare" would become more difficult.
Rapid mobilization with mobile missiles, rocket launchers and air defenses is a tool that the Russian force can easily use. This they have perfected in their invading battle in Syria and Crimea.
Melee attacks
Fighting in all the cities and towns of Ukraine would give the Ukrainian forces an opportunity, since the Russian force would be affected in urban combat, especially in Kiev due to its political importance.
Should Ukraine manage to defend its cities adequately, they will be able to hold out for quite some time, according to Watling.
In Ukraine, large numbers of civilians could take up arms for the defense of their country.
In addition, the British provided Ukraine with anti-tank weapons, which will help them in close combat and the Ukrainian forces will be able to move easily and use the buildings for protection.
Likewise, Russia will try to use long-range artillery, for a good attack on pockets of resistance, manage to surround cities, and then try to use agents and special forces to basically proceed to assassinate leaders of civil society.
