Zelenskyy says additional manpower could help ease burden on Ukrainian troops

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pushed back against simplistic judgments about Ukrainians who have left the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion, including men of conscription age now living abroad, stressing the scale of sacrifice made by those who remain.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Radio Prague International, Zelenskyy said the war’s duration and intensity must be taken into account.

“This war did not last weeks. Some people have been fighting since 2014,” he said.

Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukrainians fled for a range of reasons, including fear, trauma, the loss of family members, and psychological exhaustion. He said he rejects narratives that focus solely on those who left.

“I do not see millions who left,” Zelenskyy said. “I see millions who stayed. And because millions stayed, Ukraine is still standing.”

The president also addressed the growing strain on Ukrainian soldiers who have spent years on the front line, emphasising the need for rotations and rest. While he acknowledged that additional manpower could help ease the burden, he stressed that trust among troops is essential and that returns from abroad cannot be managed purely through pressure or administrative measures.

Earlier in January, Serhiy Nahorniak, a lawmaker from the Servant of the People party, claimed that around half a million young people had left Ukraine over the past six months. However, State Border Service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko later said the figures were incorrect, noting that approximately 3.1 million people crossed Ukraine’s borders in 2025.

Meanwhile, Social Policy Minister Denis Ulyutin said that more than 5.8 million people have left Ukraine since 2022.

By Sabina Mammadli