Ukrainian military long on morale but short on weaponry

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — When Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and threw its support behind separatists in the country’s east more than seven years ago, Kyiv’s underfunded and disorganized armed forces struggled to mount a credible response. Now, amid fears that a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine’s border could signal a possible attack, military experts say Moscow would face stronger resistance this time. But they emphasize that it would still be well short of what Ukraine needs to counter the overwhelming military superiority that Russia enjoys. Despite the disadvantage, battle-hardened veterans like Col. Viacheslav Vlasenko said every Ukrainian is ready to die in such a fight because they will be “no place for us to retreat.”