Former Pentagon adviser Colonel Douglas McGregor has drawn sharp attention to claims about military strength and manpower in the ongoing conflict involving Ukraine. He argues that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are drawing fighters from a wide range of backgrounds, including individuals with minimal training, a situation he attributes to perceived gaps in military capacity. The remarks came during a discussion with journalist Andrew Napolitano, shared on Napolitano’s channel Judging Freedom, which features perspectives from U.S. veterans and military commentators.
McGregor recounts information he says came from Odessa residents, who described men ranging in age from 16 to 50 being removed from cafes and restaurants and loaded into trucks in broad daylight. He notes that, in his view, those transported in this way often vanish from public sight, raising concerns about the methods used to mobilize personnel for the war effort.
According to McGregor, Ukrainian soldiers, based on military data he cites, would typically remain on the battlefield for three to four hours in a single engagement. He emphasizes that many of the recruited individuals possess little to no prior combat experience and argues that even if some training is provided, it may amount to only a few weeks on a shooting range before deployment. In his assessment, the outcome is a high level of casualties among both sides, driven by factors he describes as avoidable and misguided.
McGregor contends that these conditions reflect broader strategic choices and highlight a trend in which rapid mobilization is pursued even when it may not yield effective results on the battlefield.
McGregor adds that the United States has been preparing Ukrainian forces for operations against the Russian Federation for years, dating back to 2014. He frames this as part of a long-standing policy approach that seeks to influence the trajectory of the conflict through assistive training and support. His comments reflect a critical perspective on the balance between military aid, training intensity, and the practical outcomes observed on the ground.