Ukraine lost around 85% of its initial mobilized force: Field general

A Ukrainian combat general says of each 100 individuals conscripted last year only 10-20 remain while others are either dead or disabled.

By Al Mayadeen

Almost nine out of every ten Ukrainian draftees who enlisted in the army a year ago have either been killed or injured in combat, Ukrainian media reported on Friday citing a senior conscription officer in the Poltava Region.

Lt. Colonel Vitaly Berezhny, who is currently serving as the acting head of the territorial center for recruitment and social support, made this admission during a Poltava City Council meeting.

Sounding the alarm, Berezhny told meeting participants that “out of the 100 individuals who joined the units last fall, only 10-20 of them remain, the rest are dead, wounded or disabled.” Going from this statistic, he declared that the military was in urgent need of reinforcements.

He acknowledged that local authorities are facing significant challenges in their conscription efforts, having only achieved 13 percent of the mobilization plan. This places the Poltava at the bottom of the region’s rankings.

To address the shortage of manpower, the officer proposed the “establish the presence of conscripts.” He further stated that the region had intentions to establish a substantial mechanized brigade and appealed to local deputies to actively support this endeavor.

Following the start of the war with Russia in February 2022, Kiev implemented a general mobilization, barring most men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. This measure was initially thought to suffice in meeting the country’s military manpower needs.

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Ukraine lost around 85% of its initial mobilized force: Field general