Zaluzhnyi: Rotation of soldiers to necessitate doubling amount of personal equipment

Tuesday, 26 December 2023, 15:43

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has spoken out against the adoption of a law on rotation at the front, saying that this would require, among other things, increasing the number of personal equipment at least twice.

Source: Zaluzhnyi during a briefing on 26 December

Quote: "I repeat that the situation on the contact line still depends primarily on the enemy’s actions.

I cannot predict whether it will be six months, five months, or three months. The situation can be completely different, believe me. Once again, if people propose a six-month rotation, they should understand that the personal equipment must be increased by at least two times.

The resulting figure will be the number required to replace these people in combat positions in six months.

What if the situation changes? What if the enemy attacks from areas they haven’t before? What should we do in such a situation?

That is why people need to rest. I demand from local commanders that they do everything possible and impossible to carry out rotation... within subunits, within military units.

However, to legislatively prescribe that we will move in this way... Believe me, having served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for 30 years and almost 10 years during the war, this is still, let's say, a deception .... that is unrealistic."

Background:

  • On 25 December, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers submitted to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) a bill to reform mobilisation and military registration, which includes lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25, electronic call-up notices and military conscription postponement provisions. Ukraine's ruling Servant of the People party faction decided to avoid commenting on this draft law, pointing out that it is an initiative by the Ukrainian military.
  • The draft law proposes to legislate that military personnel who have directly participated in hostilities should be replaced no later than six months after continuous participation. The recovery period should last at least two months.

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