Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi has indicated the country plans on returning to its internationally recognized borders of 1991, including Crimea, according to an interview he granted to The Guardian via Magyar Nemzet. To accomplish this, it needs more soldiers, necessitating the lowering of the mobilization age from 27 to 25.
The colonel general said Ukraine will “liberate (its) citizens,” calling the goal “realistic,” without divulging any details, which he called a “military secret.”
In order to free those “suffering” in the “occupied territories,” Ukraine needs more boots on the ground, which is why the government has lowered the age of military service from 27 to 25. A new law also just came into force last week, which extends the mandatory mobilization policy for three months and requires men to register their details with military recruitment centers.
Syrskyi admitted that Russian forces have more tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and soldiers, claiming that they now have 520,000 troops versus 100,000 more than when the war began and that Moscow plans to increase this to 690,000 by the end of the year. He also said Russian tanks have doubled, from 1,700 to 3,500, their artillery systems have tripled, and they now have 8,900 armored personnel carriers, up from 4,500 in 2022.
Syrskyi reiterated the Ukraine line that despite its numerical superiority, Russia has lost many more soldiers than Ukraine, adding that Russia can be stopped, although Ukraine’s air defenses must be improved. On this front, the promised F-16s from the West would be of great help, although there appears to be no solid delivery date.
In any event, Ukrainian forces have turned to drones since they can risk getting closer to the frontline and have proven key in missions targeting logistics sites inside Russia.
Fresh recruits are now vital to the cause, with Syrskyi calling on Ukrainian citizens, including those abroad to “fulfill their constitutional duty.”
“I hope that after victory they will be able to tell their children where they were. Where were you when all citizens of Ukraine were fighting in such fierce battles?” he told The Guardian.
