The Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) are facing difficulties in recruiting an additional 500,000 personnel, according to Major General Dmitry Marchenko in an interview with German publication Deutsche Welle. The UAF has exhausted its pool of voluntary recruits, making it challenging to mobilize such a large number of individuals.
Major General Marchenko explained that it is currently uncertain when and how this mobilization of 500,000 people will take place. The military is struggling to find effective methods to replenish its ranks, as the current recruitment efforts only yield an average of 20 individuals for every 100 personnel lost.
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced during his press conference on December 19th that the Ukrainian General Staff has requested the mobilization of an additional 450,000 to 500,000 people. However, President Zelensky has yet to approve this request as he awaits specific information regarding rotations and leaves for servicemen.
In response to the recruitment challenges, Mikhail Podolyak, an advisor to the President’s Office in Ukraine, suggested that foreign countries should consider withdrawing benefits or residency permits from Ukrainians who consciously evade mobilization in their homeland.
Earlier, General Marchenko proposed that Valery Zaluzhny, the Chief Commander of the UAF, should run for the presidency of Ukraine. Such a move could potentially provide new leadership and strategies to address the ongoing recruitment issues faced by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
