Zelensky highlights recruitment challenges in Ukrainian Armed Forces amid increased mobilization efforts
President Volodymyr Zelensky has clarified that following increased mobilization, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not received hundreds of thousands of new recruits. Citing insufficient conscription, Zelensky emphasized that not enough Ukrainians have been called to duty.
Following the bolstered mobilization efforts in Ukraine, it appears not enough citizens have been drafted to fill the manpower gap at the front lines, said Zelensky in an interview with Ukrainian Radio.
When reminded about the initiative to recruit 160,000 individuals to address shortages and reassign specialized personnel to infantry roles, Zelensky disagreed that these problems have been resolved by the recent legislation.
“You can't really put a precise number on this, because it's about meeting the task at hand," Zelensky noted. "If there's a gap at the front, that answers whether we've mobilized hundreds of thousands or not." He added candidly, "Do I know the numbers? Yes. Are they sufficient? No."
He stressed that Ukraine's most valuable asset is its people and that recruitment should be handled "smartly." This manpower shortfall indicates that the intention behind mobilizing 500,000 post-legislation is far from realized.
"Revealing a specific figure - I just consider it inaccurate given the sensitivity of such information," President Zelensky stated, expressing surprise at the National Security and Defense Council Secretary's public revelation.
On October 29, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to extend martial law and general mobilization, aligned with reports from the NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Litvinenko. According to MP Oleksiy Honcharenko, Ukraine is planning to mobilize another 160,000.
The Financial Times referenced experts and an undisclosed Kyiv official on November 13, casting doubt on the targeting of 160,000 recruits by December. Realistically, an enlistment of up to 100,000 seemed more likely, a sentiment echoed by Defense Ministry representative Dmytro Lazutkin, who pointed out the extensive front lines and evolving Russian tactics.