Zalužnji dissatisfied with the work of recruitment centers

Ukrainian military chief General Valery Zaluzhnyi said yesterday that he is not satisfied with the work of recruitment centers that are in charge of military mobilization in order to maintain the war effort against Russia.

Zaluznyi held his first news conference since the start of the war a day after Ukraine's parliament released the text of a draft law containing reforms to the conscription program, including lowering the age of men who can be mobilized from 27 to 25.

The publication of the draft law caused controversy on social networks, which apparently prompted the general, who normally does not like to be exposed in public, to address the media.

"Currently, I am not satisfied with the work of the recruitment centers," he said.

These reforms are an extremely sensitive topic for the population, which has been at war for 22 months now, with no sign of an end. Last Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the army proposed the mobilization of an additional 450-500 thousand people.

Zaluznji admitted that the figure had been discussed, but told reporters in Kiev that he would never publicly announce the figure, a statement that could renew speculation about a political conflict between him and the Ukrainian president.

"I would not publicly discuss those figures," he said.

Zalužnji oversaw an offensive this year that failed to recapture significant Russian-occupied territory.

However, he remains popular with many Ukrainians after pushing Russian forces away from the capital early in the war and orchestrating two successive counter-offensives that fall that saw significant territory reclaimed.

"We had quite ambitious goals in 2023. I was not disappointed with the level of foreign aid in 2023. Of course, it was not as much as requested, but it enabled us to carry out certain military operations," he said.

Tensions between Zalužnji and Zelenski became public in November after the general said that the war was at a standstill due to the state of affairs at the front. His comment was criticized by the president's cabinet.

Zelensky and his allies constantly try to paint an optimistic picture of the war effort and claim that Ukraine can and will drive Russian forces out of every inch of occupied territory.

Zalužnji said that it turned out that he was right: "I received a lot of criticism for that, but over time people realized that I was absolutely right."

He said that Ukraine and its allies have already identified solutions to most of the issues and problems that he raised in his comments on the situation on the front in November.

Commenting on recruitment efforts, he said he would support the introduction of an electronic military draft, a step that would replace or reinforce the current model of recruiting officers handing out military drafts to people on the street or at checkpoints.