Kiev’s spy chief says Ukraine failed in mobilization drive in war
In early December, a Ukrainian parliamentary defense committee official, Roman Kostenko, reported that Kiev has been able to recruit only around 30,000 personnel per month, meeting just half of the military’s requirements. The country’s commander-in-chief, Aleksandr Syrsky, also recently emphasized the need for additional troops.
Budanov told Levy Bereg on Friday that the “main blunder… was the completely failed media campaign… which, let’s say, allowed the mobilization issue to become a tense one.” He added, “We all blame Russia, but its influence [on this matter] isn’t as great as everyone thinks.”
According to the intelligence chief, the missteps that hampered the recruitment drive originated within Ukraine, occurring “sometimes deliberately, driven by personal ambitions of certain people, and sometimes thoughtlessly.” He stated bluntly: “We destroyed our own mobilization. Those who say otherwise are wrong. We destroyed it ourselves.”
Earlier this week, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov claimed that, based on Moscow’s estimates, Ukraine has lost nearly 500,000 servicemen this year, severely limiting its ability to replenish forces through compulsory mobilization.
To maintain troop levels, Ukraine restricted almost all adult men from leaving the country after the conflict escalated in late 2022 and lowered the draft age from 27 to 25. Nevertheless, nearly 100,000 young men reportedly fled since August, following a government decree permitting men aged 18 to 22 to cross the border.
In October, conscription authorities ordered citizens to stop sharing viral videos showing draft officers forcibly taking men off the streets into vans, a practice widely referred to as “busification.” These widely circulated clips heightened public frustration, sparking protests in multiple cities.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
