Muzhenko told whether the establishment of clear terms of service can affect the number of the Armed Forces

Former Chief of the General Staff – Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2014-2019), currently a leading researcher of the Central Research Institute of the Armed Forces, General Viktor Muzhenko, answering questions about the mobilization and number of the Armed Forces, stated that there is currently no practical possibility to establish clear deadlines services He said this in an exclusive interview with Radio Liberty.

“Theoretically, this possibility (establishing clear terms of service) exists. And it practically does not exist today. Why? Because if we (these are irrelevant, just relative indicators) need to call up 30 thousand every month to replenish losses, replenish those units that perform tasks, and for the possible formation of additional military units, reserve units, and we call up 2 times less, 15 thousand or even 20 thousand, then this indicates that we will never be able to provide such a rotation to serve, and in their place – as many vacated, as many should come. And now we cannot even provide an objective reduction in the number of personnel. I mean the wounded, the dead, the sick,” Muzhenko said.

“When there will be a mobilization (probably full mobilization – ed.), we will be able to supplement the military units and have the opportunity to create reserve military units. When this number suits us, we will then be able to rotate these people at the first stages, and in the future, it may be possible to fire them. Until we come to the overlap of this current shortfall, we cannot even talk about possible layoffs,” explained the former head.

Muzhenko also added that in the Russian Federation, where, despite a massive conscription campaign, the army faces the same problems.

“In the fall of 2022, they called up 300,000 conscripts. And then the issue was resolved precisely through the contract, additional payments and so on. This is just a question about motivation, including material motivation. And the question of the possibility of releasing those people who have already served 2-2.5 years has already arisen. And since June, all their mass media and telegram channels have been saying that Putin thinks: it will be possible to resign from September 1, the selection of people has already been carried out, then from December 1, conditionally speaking, then before the new year. And now they say: no, now only from February 1 or March 1,” Muzhenko reminded.

The Ministry of Defense asks the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence to postpone the preparation of the draft law on the conditions for the demobilization of servicemen during martial law until March 18, 2025. This was reported by the publication “Ukrainian Pravda” with reference to the interlocutor in the defense parliamentary committee, the letter of the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov to the committee, which is at the disposal of the UP. The Ministry of Defense did not officially announce this.