Ukraine must mobilize at least 30,000 people per month, Budanov says, warns war won't end soon

Presidential Office head Kyrylo Budanov has warned that Ukraine cannot afford to mobilize less than 30,000 people per month, as ending the war in the short term is "unrealistic."

The comments, made on Aug. 28 on Ukrainian television, come as Ukraine's leadership is under increasing pressure from both the military and society to tackle issues in the country's flawed and unpopular mobilization process.

Forced mobilization, as a part of martial law, has been in place in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Since the draft ramped up in scope over last years as less Ukrainians volunteered to fight, mobilization has been a source of simmering tension in Ukrainian society. Cases of attacks on draft officers increased in frequency over 2026.

Aware of the topic's political sensitivity, Ukraine's leadership, from parliament, the defense ministry, and President Zelensky himself, have consistently avoided taking public responsibility for comprehensively reforming the draft.

But Ukraine requires a consistent flow of new recruits to stay in the fight, with Moscow showing no signs of stopping its war and increasing signs that a new mobilization wave in Russia could follow State Duma elections in autumn.

"No matter how much we say that we will call differently now, the quantitative indicators will not change, which means that the number of dissatisfied people will not change either," said Budanov.

"You can't do anything about it."

In the interview, Budanov also urged Ukrainians not to believe that an end to the war could be around the corner.

"I think very soon everyone will see negotiations, but it will be more about the technical side and preparation for something big, which I hope we will get to someday," he said.

"We will not stop the war now. Not because we don't want to, it's just not realistic."

On Aug. 22, parliamentary defense committee secretary Roman Kostenko said Ukraine is preparing "radical" changes to its mobilization system, including potential revisions to the country's draft age.

Kostenko said financial incentives to encourage Ukrainians to sign military contracts have failed to significantly increase recruitment, prompting officials to consider other measures.

Budanov, who had served as the popular leader of Ukraine's military intelligence agency HUR, was appointed Presidential Office head after his predecessor Andrii Yermak was searched by anti-corruption agencies.

Now, the former general has himself come under scrutiny, after Ukrainian media revealed on Aug. 26 that Budanov's name and voice featured prominently in audio tapes recorded by investigators for the case around his deputy Iryna Mudra, who was charged — and promptly dismissed — by President Zelensky.

“Let the court sort it out," Budanov said in response to his mentioning in the tapes. "You know, it (his name) comes up in a lot of places,” Budanov said when asked about alleged references to him in the tapes.