MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. Mobilized troops, including those forcibly recruited, constitute the bulk of Ukraine’s armed forces, commander of the Order of Zhukov Operational Brigade of the Russian National Guard Central District, Hero of Russia Major General Sergey Khairudinov said in an interview with TASS.
"The majority of those fighting are mobilized troops, some of whom were forcibly drafted into the Ukrainian armed forces, while others may have joined voluntarily," he said. According to him, the most motivated units, such as the Azov Brigade and the 3rd Assault Brigade (designated terrorist in Russia), are assigned to the most critical and difficult areas, as well as breakthroughs. After active operations are completed, they are replaced by mobilized units. The latter, according to Khairudinov, have both lower motivation and equipment. The Ukrainian armed forces also continue to employ foreign mercenaries.
Before joining the special military operation, Khairudinov participated in the counter-terrorism operation in the North Caucasus. He noted significant differences between the combat there and the special military operation in Ukraine. "Now everything is much more intense. Back then, there weren’t as many unmanned aerial or ground weapons. That’s probably why the Caucasus was a little simpler, a slightly different war," he emphasized.