The Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) has been drafting 30,000 new recruits monthly, ostensibly to replenish its numbers in its ongoing war with Russia.
While Ukrainian authorities have declined to share conscription figures due to confidentiality rules, several reports – including one from the New York Times (NYT) – confirmed this development. According to three military experts aware of the current count, Kyiv has been drafting up to 30,000 new troops monthly since May. This coincided with a new conscription law taking effect, as per NYT.
The number is "two to three times more than during the last winter months," the experts remarked, adding that it is about the same number the Russian Armed Forces is recruiting each month. That figure could not be independently confirmed, however. The experts spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential numbers.
Aside from the experts, other sources – this time from several AFU brigades deployed on the battlefield – also confirmed this increase. Brigade commanders said they were hoping the influx of new draftees would help Kyiv stabilize the front line this summer.
Nazar Voytenkov, press officer for the AFU's 33rd Mechanized Brigade, said his unit had "received more newbies this month" than they had at the beginning of the year. "More are coming to us," he continued.
Lt. Serhiy Skibchyk, press officer for the AFU's 65th Brigade, also attested to the increase in troop numbers. "The situation is slightly improving compared to the end of 2023, when there was a severe shortage of people," he said, adding that small groups of conscripts have been reaching his unit weekly.
"But our needs still exceed the number of people we're getting," admitted Skibchyk, whose unit is fighting in southern Ukraine.
Will the new recruits be ready to fight?
Sputnik News reported that a law bolstering Ukraine's mobilization rules took effect on May 18. This law seeks to replenish Ukrainian forces depleted by more than two years of conflict. Under the new law, all Ukrainians eligible for military service must report to conscription offices within 60 days of the edict taking effect. (Related: No escape from the meat grinder: Zelensky signs tyrannical mobilization bill that lets no man escape.)
The outlet added that Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization on Feb. 24, 2022, a day after he declared martial law. The mobilization decree and martial law declaration – in which men aged from 18 to 60 are banned from leaving Ukraine – have been repeatedly extended.
Aside from the mandatory mobilization, Ukraine has also signed into law a proposal to allow prisoners to fight for the AFU. Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said Kyiv has released some 3,800 inmates to serve in the military in exchange for the possibility of parole when their fighting duties conclude.
However, according to the sources NYT spoke with, the boosted mobilization hasn't translated to a stronger AFU on the battlefield. Many conscripts are still completing the weeks-long training process, and have yet to be deployed in the frontlines. Aside from this, many of the recruits aren't physically fit for combat.
Voytenkov recounted that the 33rd Mechanized Brigade gave a week of additional training to conscripts to show them the weapons and armored vehicles they would be using. But after just the basic training, he pointed out that "they are not ready to fight, honestly."
"Mobilizing soldiers is just one part of a larger equation for Ukraine," NYT noted. "Ensuring that troops are properly trained and supplied with enough weapons and ammunition is equally important."
But even Zelensky acknowledged this month that there were insufficient facilities to train conscripts. He also lamented the delays in deliveries of Western military materiel, blaming this for the more than a dozen AFU brigades being under-equipped.
Head over to UkraineWitness.com for similar stories.
Watch this video of Ukrainian military recruiters looking for draft dodgers.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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