Ukraine Plans to Mobilize 160,000 People to Fill Army Ranks

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary, Oleksandr Litvinenko, announced plans to mobilize 160,000 people to fill the ranks of its army, as reported by a lawmaker’s video speech released to the press.

Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, a total of 1.05 million citizens have been drafted into the army, according to Litvinenko’s statement to lawmakers.

The planned mobilization aims to fill the army ranks to 85%, with another wave of mobilization expected to take place within the next three months.

Martial Law and Mobilization Extended

Ukraine has extended martial law and mobilization for another 90 days, from early November to early February, as voted by the Ukrainian parliament.

This marks a regular extension of the martial law and mobilization, which have been in place since the start of the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian Army Struggles to Replenish Ranks

The Ukrainian army is facing challenges in replenishing its ranks after nearly three years of invasion, with the situation at the front being particularly dire.

The Russian army has taken the lead for about a year, adding to the struggles of the Ukrainian army.

Conscription Controversy

Conscription is a contentious issue in Ukraine, with many considering the system unfair and plagued by corruption scandals.

In late February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died, but this number does not include those declared missing, estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

The actual number of casualties remains unpublished, but it is typically a multiple of the number of dead in any given armed conflict.