Ukraine's top general disappointed with recruitment policy

Speaking at a wartime press conference on December 26, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny said: "I am not satisfied with the work of the recruitment offices at the moment. If I were satisfied, we would not be here discussing the draft mobilization."

General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi made the remarks a day after Ukraine's parliament published the text of a draft law that includes reforms to the military draft program, including a proposal to reduce the age at which men can be drafted from 27 to 25.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Photo: Reuters

The draft law has sparked controversy on social media since its publication. In the early months of the conflict, Ukraine saw tens of thousands of men volunteer to fight, but that enthusiasm has waned as the conflict has raged for 22 months.

During the press conference, Mr Zaluzhnyi also asked a series of other questions about the conflict. He acknowledged that Ukrainian troops had retreated to the edge of Maryinka, a town that had been fought over for months and was now “no longer there” due to the destruction.

Responding to another question, he said attacks in 2024 will be different from 2023 due to the many constantly evolving battlefield technologies.

The proposed reforms in the new bill are particularly sensitive for Ukraine, whose population is facing a crisis after nearly two years of war. Last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the military had proposed calling up 450,000 to 500,000 more troops.

On December 26, Mr. Zaluzhny admitted that this figure was necessary but it was not a military proposal, but a master plan and would be added gradually. He added that he would never publish and discuss this figure publicly.

Mr Zaluzhnyi oversaw Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive, which was widely seen as a failure as it failed to make the breakthroughs it made last year.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tuong-hang-dau-ukraine-that-vong-ve-chinh-sach-tuyen-quan-post278621.html