Zelenskyy admits that Ukraine's military mobilization faces serious obstacles
JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted that there were serious problems in mobilizing personnel into the Ukrainian armed forces, especially those related to the prolonged problem in coordination between the military and the Ministry of Defense.
"You know the big challenge is mobilization... We need a new approach to mobilization, new steps. Maybe new steps, maybe not too fast, maybe not something radical," Zelenskyy said in an interview with Sky News as reported by RIA Novosti from Moscow, Monday, July 27.
Zelenskyy also alluded to the recent cabinet reshuffle and acknowledged that for months there had been a major problem in communication between former Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi and former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
According to Zelenskyy, to overcome the problem of mobilization, unity is needed between the armed forces and the Ministry of Defense.
After Fedorov resigned, rallies in support of him and protests against Syrskyi took place in Kiev and other cities.
On July 22, Zelenskyy signed a decree appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi, who previously served as the Commander of the Joint Forces, as the new commander of the armed forces.
The Ukrainian government in recent times has faced a shortage of personnel in the armed forces. On the other hand, the actions of military recruitment officials who carry out forced arrests of men who are eligible for mobilization have repeatedly sparked controversy and protests.
Videos showing the process of forced mobilization have also circulated widely on online media. The footage shows recruitment officers carrying men who are the target of mobilization using minibuses, which in some cases are preceded by beatings against them.
At the same time, men of military age in Ukraine are trying to avoid mobilization in various ways, such as leaving the country illegally, burning military recruitment offices, hiding in homes, and avoiding activities outside the home.