Ukraine wants at least 30,000 conscripts on the battlefield every month to counter Russia's continued offensive, according to the count...
Ukraine wants at least 30,000 conscripts on the battlefield every month to counter Russia's continued offensive, according to the country's top general.
Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU), put forward this demand during an interview published by the LB.ua outlet on Wednesday, April 9. According to the general dubbed "The Butcher," Moscow has already deployed around 623,000 troops – with a five-fold increase since the special military operation began in 2022. Syrksy continued that Russia can draft up to five million trained and experienced troops, for a total headcount of 20 million.
"Every month, they increase it by 8,000 to 9,000," the general told the news outlet. "In a year, it's 120,000 to 130,000."
In some frontline areas, Russian troops outnumber their Ukrainian counterparts by a ratio of 10 to one. To sustain resistance against the Russian army, Syrsky said the AFU must mobilize 30,000 soldiers every month.
But the general's demand appears to be an impossible dream, given Kyiv's mounting battlefield losses and dwindling frontline forces. Ukraine is scrambling to recruit tens of thousands of new soldiers each month – but corruption, draft evasion and deep public resistance threaten to undermine its mobilization efforts. With the government lowering the draft age and offering lucrative enlistment incentives, the struggle to sustain its fighting force has reached a critical point, raising concerns about Ukraine's long-term capacity to resist Russian advances.
Cash for combat: Kyiv's new strategy to boost troop numbers
Ukraine initially implemented a general mobilization after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, barring most men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. However, enforcement has been uneven, with widespread reports of bribery, evasion and even violent confrontations between draft officers and civilians.
In response, authorities lowered the conscription age to 25 last year while imposing stricter penalties for draft dodging. Now, the government is offering unprecedented financial incentives through a new voluntary program targeting younger men.
According to a Russia Today piece from February, the program offers applicants a salary of one million Ukrainian hyrvnia ($24,000) for one year in the military – roughly four times the annual standard military salary. They can also receive 120,000 hryvnia ($2,880) and more every month for combat missions. Zero-interest mortgages, free travel and utility benefits, free education and a right to travel overseas after one year of service await those who sign up with the AFU.
The crisis reflects a fundamental challenge for Ukraine: Sustaining prolonged warfare against a far larger adversary while maintaining public support. Historically, nations facing existential threats – such as Britain during World War II or Israel in its early conflicts – resorted to sweeping mobilization.
But Ukraine's struggle also bears resemblance to the Soviet Union's desperate conscription efforts in World War II, where relentless casualties forced increasingly draconian measures, damaging morale. Today, as enlistment officers resort to forcibly detaining men in public, the tension between military necessity and civil liberties grows ever starker.
Though Kyiv has avoided acknowledging total conscription figures, the sheer scale of its recruitment drive underscores the war’s brutal toll. With attrition rates high and Western aid increasingly uncertain, Ukraine’s ability to maintain its fighting force may soon hinge not just on weapons, but on whether it can persuade – or compel – enough citizens to keep joining the fight.