Firstly, training is expensive. Especially when you're training a large number of people. Live fire exercises, battle drills, etc, are costly in terms of ammunition, fuel, labor, wear and tear on equipment and vehicles (provided that they are actually used and not simulated) etc. Even during the heyday of the Soviet Armed Forces, corners were cut to save on material and labor expenses. This does not mean that the training was bad, or useless. On the contrary, Soviet conscripts were among the best in the world because of how specialized and rigorous training was for each individual soldier (mounting and dismounting from APCs and performing marching fire). But that is a topic for another day.

Ukraine, since 2014, has increased its defense spending, has made attempts to fight corruption and increase civilian oversight over military funds, improve command and control for joint operations between various units and branches.

The Ukrainian armed forces are also slated to receive long-range R-360 “Neptune” cruise missiles from the Luch Design Bureau, in April of this year. Rob Lee has argued in a recent article that this latest development has heightened Moscow's paranoia and influenced its recent buildup, in preparation for a possible invasion.