Posts published by “Rothschild Jobi”

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on January 15 that Ukraine’s military now boasts 880,000 soldiers, positioned to defend the country against 600,000 Russian troops. Speaking in Warsaw during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Zelensky explained that while Ukraine has a larger overall force, Russia’s troops are concentrated in specific regions, granting them a local numerical advantage.

Zelensky’s comments come at a time when Ukraine is struggling with manpower shortages, particularly in infantry units. This has been exacerbated by Russia’s renewed offensive in Donetsk Oblast since the summer of 2024. Ukraine’s military leadership has been facing difficult decisions in response to these challenges, including a controversial decision to transfer Air Force personnel to ground units.

On January 14, a scandal broke as Air Force members reported being reassigned to support infantry positions, a move that some critics have called a result of deepening manpower shortages. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi issued an order on January 11 to transfer over 5,000 Air Force personnel to Ground Forces units, with some units having seen their staffing levels drop to just 50%. However, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces denied the claims, insisting that technical and aviation personnel were not being transferred, but that their numbers were being bolstered.

Further complicating Ukraine’s manpower situation are concerns about the unevenness of mobilisation efforts. In 2024, Ukraine lowered its minimum mobilisation age from 27 to 25 but resisted pressure from international partners to further reduce it to 18. Critics of the current mobilisation process have called for deeper reforms to address the country’s demographic challenges and ensure a more equitable distribution of military service.

Despite these challenges, Zelensky pointed to progress in Ukraine’s arms production, noting that the country now produces 33-34% of its annual weapons needs, a significant increase from the less than 10% produced domestically before the invasion. The remaining 60% of weapons are supplied by Ukraine’s international partners, with both the U.S. and European countries contributing equally.