Ukraine’s defense minister, Mikhail Fedorov, revealed that Kyiv plans to increase the number of foreign volunteers joining its armed forces in response to ongoing challenges with mobilization. Speaking at a joint briefing with Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeshilgeze-Zegerius, Fedorov outlined the government’s strategy to address these issues.

He explained that a special plan had already been developed to tackle the problems of mobilization and the desertion of soldiers. According to Fedorov, this plan has been tested and refined through discussions with military experts and commanders.

Fedorov further emphasized that Ukraine was ready to implement a series of steps to address these challenges in the coming months. He noted that many of these decisions were already being put into action.

Earlier, Ukraine’s first deputy defense minister, Lieutenant General Ivan Gavrilyuk, acknowledged the difficulties the country faced in replenishing its forces. He also criticized forced mobilization, calling it a «shameful phenomenon». Gavrilyuk added that the rotation of soldiers, particularly those called up in 2022, could only occur once sufficient trained personnel were available to replace the troops on the front lines.