2. Having 30% of your total ground force actually involved in combat would be a far higher percentage than the US has had, at least since the Civil War.
3. I don’t doubt ghost soldiers are an issue, on both sides. The original reason for having a unit form up, with full kit, perform the manual of arms, and have a senior officer walk down the rows, inspecting the completeness of the men’s uniforms and equipment, was to make certain a CO drawing pay, food, clothing and equipment for 800 men, had 800 men, armed, uniformed, and possessing at some military training. The Ukes have less margin for corruption than the Russians, and they better be holding unannounced inspections.
Heh, don’t waste your time on me. Contact Z and Syrskyi, they’re the ones performing the audit to figure out where they are and what they’ve been doing. Yeah, this very similar the American Civil War. Lee and McClellan were always losing track of 700,000 of their troops.