The head of the Ukrainian army is not satisfied. Changes announced

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of conscription offices. The general conveyed this opinion just after the Ukrainian parliament proposed changes to the soldier mobilization process. The proposed act included a provision lowering the conscription age.

The head of the Ukrainian army, General Valery Zaluzhny, stated his discontent with the military recruitment offices, as reported by Reuters. In the general's view, the units responsible for mobilizing soldiers are not functioning effectively. Zaluzhny made this assessment on Tuesday during a press conference in Kyiv.

Ukraine. Valery Zaluzhny “dissatisfied” with the draft

Zaluzhny's statement came a day after the Ukrainian parliament released the text of a draft law reforming the military conscription program. The proposed changes include a provision to reduce the age of mobilization for men from 27 to 25.

Earlier, on December 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that "the army demands the mobilization of 450,000 to 500,000 soldiers". Additional information on the matter was provided by the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov. He informed that the announced conscription would also include Ukrainians residing outside the country.

Rumors in the media suggest a conflict between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Valery Zaluzhny, emerging after the Ukrainian general's interview with The Economist magazine. During the conversation, he stated that the war had reached a stalemate because “neither Ukraine nor Russia is able to conduct an effective offensive”.

In an interview with "The Sun," Zelensky cautioned the general against entering the world of politics during the war, stating that it “does not lead to the unity of the nation”. Some commentators believe the president's statement confirmed both the rumors about the general's political ambitions and the conflict that arose between Zelensky and Zaluzhny.

Media reports also indicated that Volodymyr Zelensky had plans to dismiss Valery Zaluzhny from his position, but ultimately, it did not happen.

The Ukrainska Pravda website reported that President Volodymyr Zelensky is concerned about Valery Zaluzhny's popularity, leading him to exclude Zaluzhny in communication with other generals. As reported, Zaluzhny's popularity and that of the Armed Forces of Ukraine increased after Russia launched a full-scale invasion.

Recent polls show that both the president and the general enjoy similar support—40 percent for Zaluzhny and 42 percent for Zelensky.