Support for the army needs to be greater. People need to mobilise and work towards victory, rather than watching the military fight and merely sympathising, says the commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, Oleksandr Pivnenko. In an interview with LB he stressed that help is needed not only at the front, but also in other areas, including weapons production.
At the same time, he does not believe there is a need to mobilise women beyond voluntary service. The situation is not critical enough to begin mandatory mobilisation of women.
“If they want to, if they have the desire to help, let them go, train as pilots, let them fly, let them work on interceptors. Or in medical units,” the National Guard commander commented.
The shortage of personnel in the Defence Forces remains the main problem, Pivnenko said. The foundation of everything is the infantry.
The commander believes the Russians will not be able to break Ukraine. Ukraine will win the war, but not as quickly as it would like.
“The hardest part will be the post-war period,” he emphasised.
- As of the beginning of this year, 55,000 women were defending Ukraine within the Armed Forces alone. Over 12 years of war with Russia, 1,705 female defenders have been honoured with state awards. Five have been awarded the highest state honour — the title of Hero of Ukraine. Three of them posthumously.