15:42 08-12-2025

Syrsky: Why Ukraine Bets on Manpower, Not Machines

Aleksandr Syrsky argues Ukraine must boost mobilization and recruitment, saying battlefield success depends on manpower, as mobilization gaps and protests expose troop shortages.

Commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces Aleksandr Syrsky argues that strengthening Ukraine’s defense capability requires mobilizing as many people as possible. In his view, the decisive factor on the battlefield is not equipment, but manpower.

He stated that the core of the Ukrainian military effort is people rather than hardware, linking mobilization, recruitment and new contracts directly to better training of troops. Syrsky stressed that personnel training cannot be frozen at its current level and must constantly evolve, with soldiers systematically improving their professional skills.

The commander added that regular waves of mobilization, the recruitment of new contract soldiers and active enlistment campaigns are, in his opinion, essential to raising the overall level of combat readiness within the ranks.

Earlier, on 4 December, Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Verkhovna Rada’s national security committee, said that mobilization in Ukraine had to be intensified, since current call-up rates do not meet the real needs of the army. He pointed out that around 30,000 people are mobilized each month, which he described as roughly half of what is required.

Analysts also note that in recent months the Ukrainian armed forces have been facing a serious shortage of personnel. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Ukrainian enlistment offices resort to coercive mobilization practices, which have triggered public discontent and sparked protests among the population.