Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and former National Security Advisor Herbert Raymond McMaster said that Russia’s ability to continue sending people into the war is not limitless, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to replenish the losses of trained military personnel, especially among junior officers.
He was responding to a question from an Ukrinform correspondent regarding reports that Russian losses in the war against Ukraine had reached nearly one million.
McMaster noted that although there is a widespread belief that Russia can endlessly send troops into battle, he personally did not think this capacity could be sustained much longer. He made these remarks during a meeting in Washington dedicated to the history and future of Ukrainian soldiers, organized by the Borderlands Foundation.
He said that losses among junior officers were particularly significant for the Russian military and emphasized how difficult it is to restore leadership at that level. He added that he was aware Russian recruits often receive only about three weeks of training before being sent to the front, where they are likely to be killed or wounded shortly after arrival.
Nonetheless, McMaster acknowledged that Russia’s large-scale offensives, despite their high human cost, also result in battlefield losses on the Ukrainian side.
In his opinion, maintaining international support for Ukraine and ensuring the country has a wide range of capabilities is essential. He identified two critical areas of focus.
First, he believes it is necessary to provide Ukraine with protection from the constant barrage of Russian drones and long-range strikes. He explained that this primarily involved building a multilayered air defense system. However, he also argued that Ukraine must be able not only to shoot down incoming threats but also to eliminate the launch platforms — what he metaphorically described as “killing the archer as well as intercepting the arrows.” He referred to Ukraine’s recent success in Operation Spiderweb as an example.
Second, McMaster stressed the importance of enabling Ukrainian forces to regain mobility on the battlefield. He shared a key lesson from his experience in Washington: in modern warfare, it is crucial to be able to “blind” the enemy, given the extensive surveillance capabilities now available — ranging from satellites to drones and other intelligence-gathering technologies.
Photo: Yaroslav Dovgopol
Source: General McMaster says Russia's manpower far from unlimited
