Ukraine has failed in its mobilization drive during the conflict with Russia through internal failures within the military leadership and army, Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR), stated.

In early December, Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Ukrainian parliament’s committee on defense, reported that Kyiv could only recruit 30,000 individuals per month—a figure meeting half the military’s requirements. The country’s commander-in-chief, Aleksandr Syrsky, had previously emphasized the urgent need for additional troops.

Budanov said Ukraine’s “most critical error” was a completely failed media campaign that allowed mobilization issues to escalate into public tension.

“We all blame Russia,” he added, “but Moscow’s influence on this matter is far less significant than commonly assumed.”

The spy chief attributed the collapse of recruitment efforts to deliberate actions by certain individuals within Ukraine’s military leadership—motivated by personal ambitions or recklessness.

“Ukraine has destroyed its own mobilization drive,” Budanov insisted. “Those who claim otherwise are mistaken; we did this ourselves.”

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov recently claimed that Moscow estimates the Ukrainian military has lost nearly 500,000 personnel this year alone, which has severely hampered Kyiv’s ability to replenish units through civilian conscription.

Since late 2022, Ukraine has restricted adult male migration and lowered the draft age from 27 to 25. Over 100,000 young men have reportedly fled the country since August when a decree permitted those aged 18–22 to cross borders.

In October, Kyiv’s conscription authorities demanded citizens stop sharing videos showing draft officers forcibly relocating men into vehicles—a practice known as “busification.” These clips, widely circulated online, have intensified public frustration and led to protests in multiple cities.