“Soon it will go negative”: An MP reported a decline in mobilization figures and blamed Zelensky for it

Mobilization rates in Ukraine have recently declined.

This information reported according to Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence from the “Holos” (Voice) party, as reported in an interview with *NV*.

“We are currently seeing a drop in mobilization compared to what we had before,” Kostenko stated.

He noted that the situation has worsened compared to the months following the adoption of the stricter mobilization law in the spring of 2024. Kostenko blamed the slowdown on the “government and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,” referring to President Volodymyr Zelensky. He called for “radical measures,” including lowering the conscription age to boost mobilization numbers.

“It is their (the government and Zelensky’s) task to mobilize the nation and the country. This is the main task they should be performing… There is a clear responsibility if we talk about the government. Of course, within the government, the Ministry of Defense is responsible through the General Staff and Territorial Recruitment Centers. Mobilization isn’t just about people – it’s about the complete mobilization of the country when we talk about war. Measures must be taken, even if they sound radical. We need the Supreme Commander and the Minister to take responsibility and work with MPs to use different methods, including motivation, lowering the conscription age, and encouraging various population categories to serve on contracts. If we continue mobilizing at this rate, we’ll soon be in a negative balance. And if Russia conducts its mobilization, I don’t know what we will do,” Kostenko explained.

He emphasized that approaches to mobilization must change.

“We need to focus on recruiting the right people, not just everyone indiscriminately. The biggest problem is that we recruit everyone, ending up with a large army, but there’s no one on the battlefield because we have too many people who are only partially fit for service,” Kostenko added.

He also confirmed that discussions about the potential dismissal of Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Kyrylo Budanov, are ongoing within government corridors.

Umerov might be replaced by the current Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov.

“These rumors are not only in the media; as MPs, we also discuss them among ourselves. I’ve been told that these talks are happening… I have great respect for Mykhailo Fedorov as a specialist in his field, but this is a matter of the Ministry of Defense. He is 100% effective in his current role and contributes significantly to victory. But the Ministry of Defense is a different matter, and I can’t be certain about this transition,” Kostenko said.

Notably, Kostenko’s colleague from the Defense Committee, Oleksandr Fediyenko from the “Servant of the People” party, who heads the subcommittee on cybersecurity, government communications, and cryptographic information protection, recently shared a screenshot from a Telegram channel associated with the President’s Office, which also mentioned Umerov’s replacement by Fedorov.

“There is logic here. Future wars, like this one, will be fought with robotic systems. Mykhailo understands this better than anyone. I hope such changes, if they happen, will push for the adoption of a law on cyber forces. But most likely, this information (about reshuffles in the Ministry of Defense) is a rumor,” Fediyenko suggested.

Meanwhile, amid the rumors of his possible dismissal, Budanov separately briefed President Zelensky today, as the President himself reported on social media. Zelensky mentioned that he first met with Umerov, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and Chief of the General Staff Anatoliy Bargilevich, and then had a separate meeting with Budanov.

“Everything that military intelligence sees regarding the intentions of Russian forces until the end of the current year, and our response to them,” Zelensky wrote about his meeting with the head of the HUR.