5 million real fighters: what the Ukrainian Armed Forces could look like with a full-scale mobilization.
I will express an unpopular opinion.
Recently, the Financial Times published an article citing sources from the Verkhovna Rada, stating that Ukraine's mobilization reserve consists of 3.7 million conscription-age individuals. Additionally, there are 1.5 million people with disabilities (as we have recently learned, disabilities vary) and 600,000 reserved individuals (though the government provides different figures).
This means that, with a fair approach where all capable individuals participate in the fight, a full rotation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine could have been conducted over the next two to three years.
After reclaiming their territory, they would return to the economic, political, cultural, and other fronts.
Moreover, this would have been more cost-effective for the state's economy if there had been a process of de-shadowing, eliminating the need to pay bribes, as avoiding conscription would have been impossible.
The released financial resources could then be directed towards enhanced military support to minimize irretrievable losses and injuries.
It is clear that for some, driven by politically treacherous motives, there is a desire to encapsulate this situation: 1 million fights, and then half of those who survive can vote as they please, while 4 million wait and gratefully support whoever "ends this horror" (in reality, no one will forgive anything, and the future will harshly punish for the past). Moreover, they lie to our faces, claiming there is no one to replace the fighters on the "front line."
At the same time, such an approach, from the perspective of state interests, not only deepens the dangerous divide in society, where some do not understand others, but also creates a situation where, once the 1 million combatants are exhausted, the remaining 4 million will raise their hands, and when the occupier stands at their doorstep, they will be unable to load a magazine into a rifle, even if they happen to have one.
This is instead of having 1 million fighters over two years who transition to reserve and return to peaceful life (with weapons ready in a safe), while the next trained million steps in to replace them. After another four years, we would have an army of 4-5 million individuals with combat experience, which would be unbeatable. Deputies and presidents would have the privilege of joining the fight after 4-5 years, while officials would do so immediately after resigning.
From the standpoint of state financial expenditures, nothing would change; uniforms are issued every two years.
However, in terms of combat readiness, efficiency, and national unity — it would certainly increase significantly.
The Holodomors are a result of the headlessness of our elite, which could not comprehend that the only and key value for the people is an independent state. An elite that oscillated between various populist concepts of those times and only gained wisdom in exile, if they survived to see emigration.
And then, when the state lost, the occupier would come and do as they wished with the people. And their primary desire was to exterminate the populace to settle the fertile land with their own resettlers, who would later speak of friendship, language, and common roots.
Thus, one can endlessly form brigades from the General Staff (by the way, what’s the situation there, have 4-5 thousand majors, colonels, and generals reached the front since March 2024?), send generals to the trenches, create corps and new brigades — if there is no foundation and understanding, then the result will be exactly what we have now.
And, by the way, one can continue to laugh at the hyperloop, but we are entering an era of Star Wars on our planet. Where a soldier's bravery with just a rifle and a shovel ends in an unknown grave. Everything will be determined by high technology, its mass and serial production.
This is no longer just some ministers or majors speaking; these are generals who were truly in the trenches while some were evading conscription.
The author expresses a personal opinion that may not align with the editorial stance. The author is responsible for the published content in the "Opinions" section.