Despite the ongoing Russian war of aggression, the Ukrainian leadership wants to release soldiers from the armed forces at the end of their mandatory military service. During the meeting of the General Staff, serious issues of mobilization, demobilization and rotation were discussed, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video message on Friday. These are conscripts who were drafted before the start of the war.
According to Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Olexiy Danilov, Zelensky has asked the military leadership to demobilize these soldiers. While Danilov stated that the layoffs should begin in the near future, Zelensky himself remained much more reserved. A concrete mobilization plan will be presented next week. Zelensky made the announcement at a joint press conference with Latvian Edgars Rinkēvičs.
820,000 Ukrainians in armed forces
Currently, approximately 820,000 Ukrainians serve in the armed forces. In order to send at least some of the conscripts home for a certain period, other soldiers must be recruited so that the front does not collapse.
The promises are seen as a concession to soldiers who have been fighting on the front lines since Russia’s war of aggression began 21 months ago. In recent weeks, there have been several demonstrations by relatives of these conscripts, calling for more rotation to give the fighters a chance to recover for a longer period. However, under the current martial law, the soldiers cannot be demobilized so easily. To achieve this, a new law would have to be passed.
Several generals have been replaced
In the evening, Zelensky replaced several generals in the National Guard. The highest-ranking officer to leave was the first deputy chief of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Volodymyr Kondratyuk, according to presidential decrees published on Friday. In addition, three other deputies were hit, Lieutenant General Olexandr Nabok, and the two major generals Oleh Sachon and Mykola Mykolenka. With the exception of Sachon, all generals were in office before the war.
The background to the reshuffles in the leadership of the National Guard is not yet known. Just a few months ago, Zelenskyi replaced the head of the authority and put Olexandr Pivnenko, an experienced combat officer, at the helm. The National Guard is a paramilitary unit that reports to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs and is actually responsible for border security and protecting internal security. After the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the National Guard is also fighting at the front.
Ukraine continues to hope for accession negotiations
Zelenskiy remains hopeful that negotiations on EU accession will begin in December and stressed that his country is ready. “We are waiting for this decision and for the European Union to fulfill its promises,” Zelensky added.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
