Valerii Zaluzhnyi commented on the draft law on the mobilization of 500 000 and the abolition of limited eligibility

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi commented on the new draft laws on mobilization in Ukraine on the air of the telethon.

According to him, the military command did not request specific numbers of mobilized Ukrainians. We are talking about the figure of 400 000-500 000 people, which was mentioned, in particular, by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"We do not make separate requests directly to the Cabinet of Ministers or the Verkhovna Rada," he noted and added that the military command regularly forms requests for the amount of ammunition, weapons and human resources.

At the same time, Valerii Zaluzhnyi says that the number of 400 000-500 000 mobilized has been established by the military command for next year. It takes into account the coverage of current understaffing and the creation of new military units, as well as forecasting losses of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

The Commander-in-Chief also explained the parameters of suitability for military service, which are prescribed in the draft law on mobilization. The general emphasized that the document proposes to remove the concept of "limited eligibility". They will only be suitable or not — that will be decided by the Military Medical Commission.

"Today, operating on the degree of disability of the 2nd and 3rd groups is not relevant, because suitability for military service is not decided by a person, but by the Military Police," Zaluzhnyi noted.

• In the evening of December 25, the government submitted draft laws No. 10378, No. 10379 to the parliament. The first document provides for changes to mobilization and military service, and the second — strengthening responsibility for military offenses. Read more about them here.
• On December 19, at a press conference dedicated to the results of the year, Volodymyr Zelensky said that the military command needs an additional mobilization of 400 000 to 500 000 people. The president said that he needed arguments for such a decision.