Kyiv [Ukraine], December 27: The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of military recruitment offices, while information about military mobilization plans in the country is causing controversy on social networks.
General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, head of the Ukrainian armed forces , spoke in his first wartime press conference on December 26, one day after the Ukrainian parliament published the text of the bill containing changes in the meaning of the law. military services, such as lowering the mandatory military enlistment age from 27 to 25.
The announcement of the bill caused controversy on social networks and this seemed to force the general, who rarely holds press conferences, to meet with reporters, according to Reuters.
"Currently I am not satisfied with the work (of military recruitment offices)... If I were satisfied with their work, we would not be here to discuss this bill," Reuters quoted him as saying. Zaluzhnyi.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian men volunteered to join the army in the first months of full-scale conflict between Russia and Ukraine. However, the fact that the war has lasted for nearly two years has caused the spirit of readiness to go out to fight to somewhat decrease.
Changes to military service are sensitive to a war-weary population. Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the army had proposed to mobilize an additional 450,000-500,000 citizens to enlist, saying this was a "very serious" number.
General Zaluzhnyi acknowledged that figure, although he said the calculation did not come from the army. He said the number represents a master plan and the army intends to achieve this recruitment goal over several stages, not the first time.
But he also told reporters in Kyiv that he would never reveal the number so publicly, words that could spark public speculation about conflicts between him and President Zelensky.
"I will not discuss these numbers publicly," Mr. Zaluzhnyi said.
Tensions between Mr. Zaluzhnyi and Mr. Zelensky reportedly flared in November after the general said the war was at a stalemate because of the state of technology on the battlefield, according to press quotes. This statement led to criticism from the Ukrainian presidential office.
Mr. Zelensky and his allies have consistently expressed a more optimistic vision of the war, claiming that Ukraine is capable and certain of pushing Russian forces out of all territories that Moscow controls.
General Zaluzhnyi said Ukraine and its allies have identified solutions to most of the questions and problems he raised in his comments on the battlefield in November.
Regarding military recruitment efforts, he said he would support announcing military call-ups via electronic devices, instead of handing out military call-up papers to people on the streets or at checkpoints.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
