Ukrainische Streitkräfte zerstörten im Jahr 2025 die Hälfte der russischen Pantsir-Raketensysteme – der ukrainische Sicherheitsdienst

If that’s true, that’s actually insane. 50% reductions means massive holes in anti air coverage. That long range strike campaign may be picking up steam in the future.

Before 1991, Ukraine did not have its own separate military. It was the Ukrainian SSR, one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union.

Ukrainians consistently made up a large share of the Soviet military.

The Ukrainian SSR was the second‑largest republic in the USSR after Russia, both in population and industrial capacity.

This meant a large portion of conscripts came from Ukraine.

Many high‑ranking Soviet officers were Ukrainian by origin.

Ukraine may be a much smaller country than Russia geographically speaking, but it wasn’t just a manpower source — it was one of the USSR’s most militarized republics. Ukrainians often made up 20–25% of the Soviet Armed Forces. In some periods (especially WWII), the share was even higher. Ukraine produced a huge number of officers, including many generals and marshals.

Ukraine was heavily militarized due to its western border position. Ukraine also historically hosted enormous Soviet military infrastructure.

Ukraine is a very capable country with a rich history of defending local autonomy, resisting foreign rule, with irregular/volunteer formations to do so.