- cross-posted to:
- ukraine_war_news@lemmygrad.ml
- world@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- ukraine_war_news@lemmygrad.ml
- world@lemmy.world
Ukraine’s military wants to mobilise up to 500,000 extra people, President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed, as the war with Russia nears a two-year mark.
At a news conference in Kyiv, he said his commanders were seeking “450,000-500,000 individuals”, admitting this was a “sensitive” and costly issue.
He said he needed more details before backing the move, hinting that 500,000 soldiers were already on the front.
His comments come in the wake of aid setbacks from the US and the EU.
Republicans in the US Congress first blocked a $60bn (£47bn) military package for Ukraine earlier this month.
That was followed by Hungary’s blocking of the EU’s €50bn ($55bn; £43bn) financial aid deal last week. EU leaders, however, said Ukraine would not be left without support.
Ukraine is facing an ammunition shortage as it continues to fight occupying Russian forces, following Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Kyiv’s counter-offensive ground to a halt at the start of winter and there are fears that the Russians could simply outgun Ukraine.
Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, warned in a BBC interview earlier this month that Ukrainians were in “mortal danger” of being left to die without further Western support.
Russia President Vladimir Putin said this week that Moscow would continue its invasion, vowing that all his goals would be achieved.
The Kremlin leader also said that 617,000 Russian soldiers were now being deployed for what Moscow describes as a “special military operation”. But he admitted that the armed forces had problems with air defence systems and communication, and needed to increase the production of drones.
President Zelensky’s end-of-year news conference was held in the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday, with the time and venue being kept secret from the general public. Invited Ukrainian and foreign media had been given the details in their confirmation letters.
Appearing in his trademark military-style clothes, the Ukrainian leader was asked a wide range of questions during the two-hour event.
He revealed that Ukraine’s top military commanders had “proposed to mobilise an additional 450,000-500,000 individuals” for the country’s war effort.
He said this was a “very serious number” and he needed more in-depth discussion before committing to the plan.
“I need specifics: what will happen to the million-strong army of Ukraine, what will happen to those guys who have been defending our state for two years? We have issues of rotation and holidays. It should be a comprehensive plan.”
But he ruled out any proposals to mobilise women.
When asked by the BBC’s Jessica Parker about whether Ukraine could be on the cusp of starting to lose the war, Mr Zelensky was firm. “No,” was the answer.
It’s the answer you would expect, but he’s not alone in expressing this kind of determination, our correspondent in Kyiv says. Many people she has met will not countenance anything other than beating back their Russian invaders, she adds.
During the briefing, Mr Zelensky also said that:
-Ukraine would be able to produce a million drones in 2024
-He had “working relations” with Ukraine’s top military commander Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, playing down reports of a rift between the pair
-Peace talks with Russia were not currently feasible, stressing that he would seek to restore in full Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders, including Crimea
During the whole event, the Ukrainian president sought to strike a confident note - but sometimes he appeared to be tense and tetchy when pressed over reports of corruption among Ukrainian government officials and lawmakers.
“guy who refuses to hold elections in case he loses grip on power will continue to send out press gangs for over half a million people to send into the meat grinder”
They’re a bastion of democracy. They don’t need elections or opposition parties.
half a million people to send into the meat grinder
For meat grinder fans - more meat, more fun.
Blood for the blood God
anyone looked at the demographics? the 20-30 year olds are all dead or gone already
if they raise this many most of them will be in their fifties
So they just going to snatch up even more poor people off the streets in vans and black bag them to the front lines, cool
Honestly thought it was a funny headline at first but yeah this is just what we’re going to see.
Imma be real, it’s getting harder to cheer Ukronazi deaths when you realize it’s less nazis dying now and more innocent people being dragged to their deaths. A lot less nazi insignia tattooed thugs and more ordinary people dragged away from their homes and families now, and no doubt it’s the nazis doing the safe job of dragging than fighting.
It’s been that way for a long while, let’s be honest.
If it was just Azov Nazis dying then I’d be laughing my ass to the bar, but that’s not what’s going on.
At this point, the Banderites are al border patrols,
kidnappersrecruiters, and other pig variant.Their friends died in Mariupol and they said “not gonna be me bud”
Ukraine would be able to produce a million drones in 2024
The real headline. This one might actually be doable and sounds like they’re learning from the stuff happening in Israel and Yemen right now.
Not to get all George Orwell, but jesus christ does “country that exists to make drones to bomb another country” sound like some tier shit.
Admech factory world
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Matty takin’ notes for his next book 100 Trillion Drones
Drone Rights
Twitter has at least that many NAFO dogs. Have at them Z.
bro please just 500,000 more troops it’ll be different this time just 500,000 bro please come on
Hey Z, I got an idea for you. It’s completely free but I just want a big statue next to the Hero Bandera:
America sends prisoners (if we can spare any from the McDonald’s and slaughterhouses), homeless people, immigrants, and American citizens with Russian ancestry to Ukraine. They must complete at least 4 years in order to secure their citizenship or be released from prison or receive government aid.
It’s brilliant. We have enough manpower for Ukraine’s needs, and we get to provide jobs and incentives for the marginalized people in our country.
Service guarantees citizenship
Morgan Freeman voice: Their service did not, in fact, guarantee citizenship
Why is it often described as a “full-scale” invasion?
Probably using regular forces. The pre-2022 fighting was using local irregulars and non-uniformed soldiers.
That’s plausible. I thought it was a way to say “very bad” with more neutral language.
Probably to directly oppose the “special operation” description given by Russia. “full-scale invasion” implies use of massive/regular force and conventional military conquest, which is the thing that is actually happening. Whereas the “special operation” would imply a small scale attack that has a much more specific and narrow goal.
You could argue that it genuienly started as such since Russia tried to do a surgical attack and blitzkrieg Kiev. But the moment that plan failed and the concepts of “frontlines” and “captured territories” started to apply, it became a “full-scale invasion”.
Large mobilization of forces with the intent to capture and hold territory indefinitely.
“To the last Ukrainian”