By reading this column, one can see that the war would have lasted more than 1,000 days. It is time to summarise the results. At the time of writing, November 2024, the situation at the front is difficult: the enemy is slowly but surely advancing along almost the entire contact line. The front is retreating, and one of the main reasons for this is the lack of personnel. Paradoxically, the mobilisation policy is not working as well as in the first months of the war when there were queues at the military commissariats. Society mostly sabotages mobilisation, not seeing a clear strategy for victory. As a result, we started with a poorly equipped, well-staffed volunteer army, and now we have a well-equipped but understaffed army with Soviet approaches.
At this point, we have to recognise that we want to be in NATO not only in words but also in deeds. This means that we need to implement not only equipment standards but also a philosophy where human-centeredness and a strategic approach come first. Without this, we will remain an army fighting for square kilometres, not to save every life. Our victory depends not only on weapons but also on the full mobilisation of society. Not everyone has to fight on the front line, but there is work for everyone. Everyone should be involved, and this requires public trust in the state.
Trust is only possible through a genuine and fair fight against corruption. Unfortunately, corruption is a powerful ally of our enemy and destroys our defence capabilities, costing the lives of our defenders. As Viacheslav Lypynskyi once warned: “We are not afraid of Moscow lice, we are afraid of Ukrainian nits.” This enemy is destroying us from the inside and undermining the mobilisation policy in the country.
Many of the problems we face are artificial. The laws and protocols that make them possible are lobbied for and perhaps even supported by our enemy. For example, fraud with the MSEC (Medical and social expert commission) could be easily prevented by the introduction of electronic document management. This would not require significant costs or time, but it does require political will. Currently, most people are aware of these problems but perceive them as “normal” or “not relevant”.
As Winston Churchill said: “I have nothing for you but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” It is important to understand this harsh reality now because accepting it will help us act in a coordinated and responsible manner. The longer we delay real change, the longer and harder the road to victory will be. But we will definitely win. The only question is, at what cost? And it depends on us how many more days like this will be on this path before our soldiers return alive and do not become part of the statistics.
Ivan Tarn – Ukrainian who grew up and built a successful career in Belgium but returned to Ukraine when Russia’s full-scale aggression began. He joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces unit and went through numerous challenges, including the battle for Bakhmut, where he lost part of his leg while saving a wounded comrade. After receiving prosthetics, he continued his service, deeply convinced that the freedom of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people is worth the highest price.
*These opinions are solely those of the author. The Ukrainian Review takes no position and is not responsible for the author’s words.
