The commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, told Ukrainian media on Friday that the number of soldiers needed at the frontline had “significantly decreased” following a review of resources, Reuters reported. In December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi announced that the military proposed to mobilize an additional 500,000 troops.
Appointed to lead the army a month ago, Syrskyi said on Friday that the number had been “significantly reduced”, but did not say how many new soldiers he thought the army needed.
“We expect that there will be enough people capable of defending the country.” – the general told the Ukrainian publication Ukrinform. “I’m not only talking about mobilization, but also about volunteers.”
Ukraine’s mobilization efforts are hampered by a lack of enthusiasm among the population and reports of corruption and abuse in the recruitment process.
A law allowing the government to mobilize more people into the army has been submitted and is currently being debated in parliament.
Oleksandr Syrsky noted that the inspection of troops not at the front allowed military strategists to send “thousands” of soldiers to the front. At the same time, he emphasized that missions to support frontline efforts are “no less important” in Ukraine’s efforts to protect itself.
“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 support units cannot be underestimated.”
“Strong” defense lines have been prepared “in virtually all dangerous areas” to prevent Russian attacks, said Sirskyi, who coordinated Ukraine’s ground forces before being appointed head of the Ukrainian army.
The Ukrainian military suffered its last major loss in mid-February, when the eastern city of Avdiyivka fell after a months-long assault in which Ukrainian forces were outnumbered and outgunned by the Russians.
On Friday, Syrskyi emphasized that Ukrainian troops will definitely maintain their positions if Ukraine receives more ammunition and air defense equipment.
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Source: Hot News
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