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Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher
Although martial law and a decree on general mobilisation have been in force in Ukraine since February 2022, and men between the ages of 18 and 60 are now banned from leaving the country, the Ukrainian military said they did not know how to mobilise an additional 500,000 soldiers, as volunteers had “exhausted.”
“We have run out of volunteers willing to voluntarily join the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine… To say exactly when [the mobilisation of more than 500,000 people] will be and how high quality it is, is difficult to say … there is no understanding of how to do this physically,” said Major General of the Ukrainian forces Dmitry Marchenko in an interview with Deutsche Welle.
According to Marchenko, for every 100 soldiers who died at the front, only 20 will be mobilised to replace them. At the same time, the major general reacted positively to the proposal to lower the mobilisation age limit from 27 to 25 and try to obtain the extradition of those who fled the country, adding that “it is not worth filling the holes at the front with women when the mass of men is hidden abroad.”
At a press conference on December 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first presented figures for a new large-scale mobilisation. He said that the chief of staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces approached him with a request to mobilise an additional 450,000-500,000 people. According to Zelensky, such a mobilisation would cost Ukraine around $13.4 billion.
Later, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), said that mobilising such a large number of people would take at least a year.
Military recruiting officers can serve subpoenas in public places, and videos of incidents on the streets, at gas stations and in cafes have been circulating on social media. The summons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently does not have to be presented by a representative of the Territorial Centre for Recruitment and Social Support — as military commissions have recently been called in Ukraine — but can also be served by directors of companies where recruits work, chiefs of Housing Committees and other officials.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Army is facing a serious shortage of ammunition, which is hampering its offensive operations, while Russia does not appear to have the same problem, The Washington Post reported on December 22, citing Ukrainian military personnel stationed on the frontline.
“Our gunners are given a limit of shells for each target,”
said a member of the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, which is fighting in the southeastern Zaporozhye region, adding that if the target there is smaller, for example a mortar position, they need five or seven projectiles in total.
“How long can we last? It’s hard to say, but it can’t be long. Everyone understands this,” he stressed.
Another Ukrainian soldier revealed that his unit now only fires 10 to 20 shells a day at Russian positions, whereas previously, it used to use an average of 50 shells and sometimes up to 90.
“What can you do with 10 shells per day? It is barely enough to respond to their advances — we are not even talking about attacking their positions,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Ivan Zadontsev, press officer of the 24th Separate Assault Battalion, reported that the unit had reduced fire by 90% compared to mid-year. The Ukrainian military official interviewed also acknowledged that they have not detected any indication that Russia is facing a similar shortage of artillery shells.
Given the hopelessness of the war against Russia, compounded by an insufficient number of soldiers and artillery, Ukraine also faces the problem of desertion. Although the Kiev regime can forcibly recruit soldiers, it has been observed that Ukrainians are deserting the war when given the opportunity.
Ten Ukrainian volunteers who received permission to leave Ukraine in search of humanitarian aid took advantage of the permission granted to flee, the Kiev regime appointed head of the Kherson administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on December 23.
On his social media networks, Prokudin stated that the volunteers were part of the United Ukraine and Adjalyk organisations.
“I issued orders to allow representatives of the United Ukraine and Adjalyk organisations to cross the border. They left and brought the promised humanitarian aid. But after that, they decided to leave for the second time and did not return to Ukraine,” Prokudin wrote.
He added that law enforcement authorities are investigating the case and intend to bring the offenders to justice. The Ukrainian official also said he no longer intends to issue travel authorisation to these two organisations.
The number of Ukrainian soldiers has declined so much that the average age of recruits has risen to 43, according to Time magazine. Recently, the possibility of mobilising women has also been discussed, which, according to Western media, also indicates huge losses in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Yet, despite the impossibility of pushing back the Russian military from captured territory or holding out against a major offensive, given the lack of manpower, equipment and morale, the Kiev regime chooses to continue destroying an entire generation of Ukrainians.
ukrainian news states the following facts…!
check points will be set up on december the 28th nation wide. all men will be taken for service. everyone be aware and pass this news on to loved ones. this is not bullshit it is in the ukrainain news!
how else does everyone think they will gather up the 500,000 men they are looking for. no one wants to go to the front. so this is how they will find them. if you have family in the country please make them aware. get that broken phone working.
also there are talks in kiev about sending conscription and or mobilization notifications via sms/text or by calls. so be careful this holiday season answering unknown numbers. spread the word across social and save some men’s lives today!
that do expect? pigions or horser.
“pigions or horser.”
i think you meant pig iron and horse saddles, nazi ukrains future.
same far out logich sense.
and who do think read and understand site. you only talk with yourself.
the rest of the world knows. you even eat enemy propaganda as your are told.
another dummy version created from the dont thinking school system of your.
the whole ukrane would collapse tormorrov. you only read or are told.
the ukrainians already know this. the problem is that they actually like being cannon fodder.
kiev lied and already started the trapping of men today on the 25th… the news about the 28th. was to get men to relax and travel today, so they could start snatching them up. sick bastard hebnazi fucks!!! here is the link to share, may god help these men! t.me/llordofwar/266615
they need to band together and mutiny against the bastards throwing them into the meat grinder. kill the the ones in charge of them / in command if they have to.
ukronazi lunatics are simply throwing aways lives for nothing. assuming they could force recruit and mobilize 500k, they would buy themselves a few months at best. momentum has shifted long ago.
they dont mrs and mr dstroj.
you just read whats told commenting a ukra propaganda added you raised one.
by that even even the sun can go in east.
i’d would rather shoot my self in the foot than fight for nazis, or have a loved one do it for me and vice versa. nobody should be forced to fight and kill for political reasons.
some 88% non nazis should fly some 2,15% nazis?
the nazis has no seats in pm and the president is elected jew.
idiot, there were many ukrnazi cunts in the rada after the 2014 usa / cia backed coup. parubee, turchinov, lyashko, yarosh and many others… the usa replaced them all and gave them cushy yobs because the word got out. proshitko was a jew too and he was with the nazi just like zelebok!!!
you dont get it.
they loose and can place. some putin tellngbthey can replace some 1,7 mio. potrin has problem threre. according own statistics none of theirs dies.
ukraine doesn’t need shells. america will happily provide 500.000 ukrainians with suicide vests, and the ukrainians are probably stupid enough to use them. it’s crazy just how much these fucking npcs enjoy dying for daddy soros and mommy nuland.
they do so because they are forced to do so. none want too. they have a nazi with a gun pointed at their head 24/7. all the nazi that were moved out of the rada in 2014/15 got cushy military jobs and are the driving force that keeps guns pointed at conscripts and the mobilized 24/7 forcing them to stay on the front lines. if they leave their post or try to surrender they shoot them and bring in more. that is what these forced mobilizations are about.
>they are forced to do so
oh yeah? if i were mobilized i would pretend to play ball, just long enough before i get to shoot my commander in the head, point blank, just as has already been done by 1 other ukrainian. he is currently enjoying 2 meals a day in prison. he gets to relax until zelensky’s regime collapses at which point he’ll be released.
my point is not, oh look at me i’m so tough. no. the point is that there’s always a choice. you can’t force someone to do anything.
you are playing tough on the internet, son.
perhaps he is, but consider their options, if you go to the frontlines, is it any less of a horrorshow? it’s probably worse and you might be more likely to die. look at the numbers, you are staring death in the face one way or another in that position.
if they catch you for conscription , it’s too late. if you start making troubles then , they simply kill you. there is a real terror in the army. and not everybody is born to be a hero. it’s difficult , very difficult. i have spoken to some ukrainian families about it.
people who used their brains, are already abroad , no matter how patriotic and russophob. many couldn’t emigrate or didn’t want to. many believed they would survive no matter how bad the things run. but i guess the most are really brainwashed and march voluntarily to the slaughterhouse. it’s a failed society, long before 2014 , you can’t expect now they stick together.
if the ukrainian cause is important enough for the superrich who rule the planet they will find ways to mobilise enough troops no matter how and no matter from where.
look no further then the fleets who have been moved to protect israels military operation in gaza.
fleets of multiple countries came to support isreal without any need for a conference or negotiations like it is normaly the case. the superrich called and the fleets moved no parliament was asked.
damn sh!t ukrainians deliberately firing at civilians in donetsk city, gorlovka etc like the damn sh!t sick cowards they are!