‘The principles from the time of Peter the Great are still in force”: Valeriy Zaluzhnyi criticises the mobilisation process in Ukraine and makes loud statements

Mobilisation in a protracted war is one of the most pressing and, at the same time, most important issues for every country engaged in active hostilities. The quality and effectiveness of a mobilisation campaign depends not only on the state’s defence capability, but also on its ability to maintain internal stability and social cohesion. In the modern world, mobilisation is often perceived ambiguously, especially in democratic states where citizens are accustomed to a certain level of freedoms and rights. This makes the issue of mobilisation particularly challenging in countries such as Ukraine, which has been at war for a long time and has to simultaneously modernise its army, reform its state institutions and maintain the support of civil society.

Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in his speech at Chatham House in London, drew attention to the fact that Ukraine still uses the old Soviet system of mobilisation. He stressed that this issue is extremely important for the future defence capability of the country, but at the same time acknowledged that it would take time to fully reform it, which is currently not available due to the ongoing hostilities. The main problem is that, despite the fact that Ukraine has been building a democracy since 2013, mobilisation approaches have not actually changed and remain the same as in the days of Peter the Great.

Outdatedapproaches to mobilisation and the need for change

Zaluzhnyi noted that the system of mobilisation used by Ukraine has remained unchanged since the time of Peter the Great. It is a legacy of Soviet methods, when citizens are forced to join the army through centralised state mechanisms.

“These principles have been in place since the time of Peter the Great, and they have changed little over that time. However, to make significant changes, we need time, which we do not have now,’ Zaluzhnyi said.

He stressed that in democratic countries, the issue of mobilisation is always sensitive because this process involves certain restrictions on citizens and interference with their private lives.

However, according to Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine is unable to fully reform this system at the moment due to active hostilities and the constant threat from Russia. This means that for now, the country is forced to use the old methods, despite their imperfections. In the future, Zaluzhnyi believes that Ukraine should move to a new model based on the voluntary involvement of citizens in the defence of their country without coercion from the state authorities.

‘We need to establish proper communication with society so that every Ukrainian understands the importance of the armed struggle right now,’ he said.

This involves building trust between the state and citizens, as well as actively engaging citizens in defence efforts on a voluntary basis.

Materialresources and the human factor

Zaluzhnyi also noted that, despite significant assistance from international partners in the form of material resources, human resources are the sole responsibility of Ukraine itself. This puts additional pressure on the mobilisation system, which has to respond quickly to the needs of the frontline and ensure constant replenishment of reserves. He stressed that working with society is critical to ensuring effective mobilisation. Every citizen should understand their role in defending the state, and this should be the basis for a new model of mobilisation in the future.

“We are receiving up to 1,600 kamikaze drones and about 250 missiles every month. Russia continues to use western-made components in its military technology,’ Zaluzhny added, stressing that Russia’s constant attacks put additional pressure on the country’s mobilisation capabilities.

Future prospects for reform and the possibility of mobilising women

In addition, Zaluzhnyi does not rule out the possibility that in the future the Armed Forces of Ukraine will have to recruit women if it becomes necessary to defend the country.

“If we need to mobilise women to protect Europe from war, we will certainly do it. But I think we have to prevent this – a full-scale war in Europe, which began in 1939, but in other ways, without drafting Ukrainian women,” he said.

Zaluzhnyi also pointed out that reforms of the mobilisation system cannot be implemented quickly due to the difficult situation that has developed due to constant attacks by Russia. He pointed out that to reform this system, it is necessary to educate a whole generation of citizens who will understand the importance of voluntarily defending their country. This is a long process, and it requires time and effort on the part of both the state and society.

The impact of information warfare and the challenges facing Ukraine

During his speech, Zaluzhnyi also noted that mobilisation in Ukraine is complicated not only by internal problems, but also by the influence of Russia. According to him, Russia is waging war not only on the physical front, but also in the information and cognitive spheres, which complicates the mobilisation process and influences public opinion.

Zaluzhnyi also said that despite all the difficulties, Ukrainian society is changing, and this gives hope for the successful implementation of reforms in the future. According to him, the mentality and self-awareness of Ukrainians began to change during the war, and this creates the basis for building a new mobilisation system based on the voluntary involvement of citizens.

At the same time, Zaluzhnyi acknowledged that a way out of the protracted war is almost impossible due to the lack of military support from Western partners in 2023. The lack of weapons did not allow Ukraine to achieve significant success during the counteroffensive, and this was one of the reasons why the conflict dragged on.

Zaluzhnyi also surprised with another statement. During his speech in London, he said that it was almost impossible to get out of the ‘protracted’ war with Russia. He recalled that back in 2023, the West did not provide Kyiv with sufficient weapons, which is why Ukraine failed to achieve ‘significant success in defeating Russia’ during its counteroffensive.