Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated in an interview with journalist Nataliya Moseychuk on the telethon that the country cannot afford to mobilize fewer than 30,000 people per month. According to him, this is the minimum number required to maintain the current state of the armed forces. "Unfortunately, we have to accept it as it is. We have no other option; we simply need to make up our minds and be honest about it," Budanov emphasized, answering the question of what to do about public tension over mobilization.
A change of defense minister will not alter the quantitative figures
In response to a question about whether any changes could be expected with the appointment of Yevhen Hmara as defense minister, Budanov stated outright that "nothing will change much." According to him, the request for at least 30,000 people per month remains unchanged, and this is "a huge number of people." The Head of the Office of the President added that changing approaches to mobilization will not alter the quantitative figures, which in turn means that the level of public dissatisfaction will be maintained.
Problems with "forced busification" and the activities of TCCs
At the same time, Budanov acknowledged that there are problems in the mobilization process. He pointed to cases of "forced busification," which, in his words, "sometimes exist" and "are not universal, but such cases do occur." The Head of the Office of the President called for a fight against "certain unlawful activities of the TCCs, which sometimes take place and sometimes very often do take place." He expressed hope that the new leadership of the defense ministry could "change the approaches a little" in this area.
Full satisfaction of society is impossible
Budanov emphasized that even after eliminating all the aforementioned violations, there will be no situation in Ukraine in which all citizens are satisfied. "This is impossible," he summarized. Thus, the Head of the Office of the President effectively confirmed that mobilization policy at a rate of 30,000 people per month will cause sustained public dissatisfaction regardless of any adjustments to the conscription procedure.
Context: statements on the mobilization of women
It is worth recalling that on August 27, 2026, Kyrylo Budanov stated that the idea of mobilizing women in Ukraine, which had been voiced online the day before, "looks strange." For their part, the Committee of the Security and Defense Council on national security, defense, and intelligence matters informed that no bills or initiatives on the mobilization of women are currently being considered. These statements came against the backdrop of Budanov's discussion of the minimum threshold of 30,000 people for monthly mobilization.
