Ukraine cannot afford to mobilize fewer than 30,000 people a month - Presidential Office
Photo: Kyrylo Budanov (Getty Images)
Ukraine cannot mobilize fewer than 30,000 people into the military each month. Moreover, even after implementing changes, it is impossible to satisfy all Ukrainians, Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with journalist Natalia Moseichuk on the national telethon.
A journalist asked Budanov what should be done about the social tensions in Ukraine surrounding mobilization.
"Unfortunately, we have to accept it as it is. There is no other way; we just need to have the courage to say it honestly. We cannot mobilize fewer than 30,000 people a month – this is the minimum number needed to maintain what we have," the head of the Presidential Office replied.
Moseichuk also asked the head of the Presidential Office whether he expects changes with Yevhenii Khmara taking over as defense minister.
"You are asking me an ethically difficult question, because no matter how I answer it, it will not look very good. So I will muster the courage and tell you: no, not much will change. Because the requirement is at least 30,000 people, and that is a huge number of people," Budanov said.
It is impossible to satisfy everyone
He added that changes to the mobilization system would not alter the quantitative figures, meaning the number of dissatisfied people would also remain unchanged.
"It can be changed. I hope they will be able to change some of the approaches to this forced 'busification' (a slang term used in Ukraine to describe the controversial practice of forcibly detaining men of military age on the streets or in public places and bundling them into minibuses (buses) to take them to recruitment centers -ed.), which sometimes occurs. It is not happening everywhere, but such cases do exist. We need to fight it. We need to fight certain unlawful actions by the territorial recruitment and social support centers, which sometimes take place. And sometimes, very often, they do," the head of the Presidential Office said.
Budanov stressed that even if all these issues are addressed, Ukraine will not reach a point where everyone is satisfied. According to him, "that is impossible."
On August 27, Budanov said that the idea of mobilizing women in Ukraine, which had previously been raised online, appeared strange.
In addition, the Verkhovna Rada's Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence said that no bills or initiatives on mobilizing women are currently under consideration.
