President's Office expects Syrskyi to conduct an audit as only up to 300,000 of 1 million fight

The leadership of Ukraine expects the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to conduct an audit of military personnel, as only up to 300,000 of the 1 million mobilized have participated in actual combat operations, an advisor to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, said during a telethon.

He described mobilization as a "gap that needs to be addressed" – the military must explain the planned procedures for conducting mobilization, the needs to be met in the army, how it will happen, and how to ensure rotations.

"We need a clear understanding of who and how will replace the military personnel who have been on the front line for almost 24 months," Podolyak said.

Mobilizing specifically 500,000 people is not currently being considered, and it's not a matter of "instant" replenishment – it will happen gradually, according to him.

He also referred to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's words during a video address on February 8, in which he announced Syrskyi as the new commander of the Armed Forces.

Zelenskyy stated, "Currently, the Defense Forces of Ukraine are almost a million people who were called up to defend our state. As of today, the majority of them have not experienced the front as the minority who are really on the frontline, really fighting."

The number of individuals engaged in combat actions is between 200,000 – 300,000, Podolyak said.

"The others were very far from the war, but they exist. Therefore, it seems to me that one of Syrskyi's key tasks is precisely to conduct an audit: where, how, and who is stationed. And then say how many additional troops are needed," he stated.

He said that mobilization must be constant but not instantaneous, and Syrskyi must determine where and how those who have already been mobilized will be utilized.

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