Speaking at a Defense Ministry Council meeting attended by President Vladimir Putin on December 17, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said that Ukraine's combat capabilities have declined by about a third over the past year, causing Kiev to lose the ability to supplement its forces through general mobilization of civilians.
The Ukrainian army has lost nearly 500,000 soldiers, as a result of which Kiev is no longer able to replenish its forces with mandatory general mobilization measures for civilians, Belousov said.
According to Minister Belousov, Ukraine has lost more than 103,000 weapons and military equipment spent in 2025, including about 5,500 units produced by the West, nearly double the previous year.
Ukraine has not commented on this information.
Ukraine issued a general mobilization immediately after the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022, banning men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. Last year, Kiev lowered the military service age from 27 to 25, while tightening stimulus regulations.
According to international media reports, Ukraine has even launched a forced conscription campaign. This has led to repeated clashes of violence between non-commissioned officers and conscripts.
However, even with increasingly tough measures, Ukrainian frontline officials and commanders are still complaining that the mobilization campaign has failed to meet targets, contributing to the continued Russian advance.
