Ukraine’s army will need to mobilize fewer men than initially expected to counter Russia’s two-year-old invasion, a senior general from Kiev said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in December that the army had offered to mobilize up to 500,000 more Ukrainians into the armed forces after Russia stepped up attacks along the 1,000km front line.
Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who was appointed to the post last month, said in an interview with Ukrainian media published today that after a review of resources that number had been “significantly reduced”. He did not specify a new number.
“We expect that we will have enough capable people to defend our homeland,” Sirsky told Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. “I’m talking not only about the mobilized, but also about the volunteers,” he added.
Ukraine’s mobilization efforts have been hampered by waning enthusiasm and by reports of corruption and abuses in the conscription services.
A bill that would allow armed forces officials to recruit more soldiers is currently being considered by parliament.
Sirsky added that the vetting of non-combat units had allowed military planners to send “thousands” of personnel to the front and that combat support posts were “equally important” in Kiev’s defense efforts.
“The war we are forced to wage against the Russian invaders is a war of attrition, a war of logistics,” he said. “Therefore, the importance of the effectiveness of the rear units cannot be underestimated,” added the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
The former ground forces chief also said “powerful” defense lines were being prepared “in almost all threatened areas” as Russia continued its attacks.
The eastern city of Avdeevka fell under the control of Moscow forces in mid-February after months of attacks in which Ukrainian defenses were outgunned and outnumbered.
In an interview with Ukrinform, Sirsky said his forces “definitely” would have held their ground if Kiev had received more ammunition and air defense capabilities from its Western partners.
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2024-03-29 15:41:00
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