**Ukraine’s Emergency Service Denies Mass Mobilization Claims**
The Ukrainian State Emergency Service has denied claims that 50% of its employees would be mobilized. On January 16, the agency said on Facebook that 90% of its personnel are exempt from mobilization.
The service clarified that rapid response units, including firefighters and rescuers, are fully exempt from mobilization to continue critical operations. This denial follows opposition MP Oleksii Honcharenko’s Telegram post alleging plans for widespread State Emergency Service mobilization after February 28.
**Ukraine’s Air Force Transfers Personnel**
Reports have emerged of personnel transfers from Ukraine’s Air Force to the Ground Forces. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi allegedly ordered the reassignment of over 5,000 Air Force personnel to address infantry shortages, particularly in Donetsk Oblast.
A senior Air Force officer spoke anonymously, warning that such transfers risk undermining unit effectiveness. The officer added that if transfers proceed as planned, some units could see staffing levels drop to 40%.
**Ukraine and Russia at Odds**
Ukraine has been struggling with a manpower shortage, especially in the infantry, while Russia has intensified its offensive in Donetsk Oblast since the summer of 2024.
About 930,000 Ukrainians liable for military service are temporarily exempt from conscription. The Ukrainian government has also permitted businesses to reserve up to 50% of their employees if their enterprises are deemed critical to the economy’s functioning.
**Russia Faces Challenges**
A Russian air defense officer stationed in occupied Sevastopol, Igor Pashkov, has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for shooting down a Russian army helicopter after mistaking it for a drone.
Ukraine aims to potentially open all six EU accession negotiation clusters in 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on January 15. The country’s military now comprises 880,000 soldiers, tasked with defending the entire country against 600,000 Russian troops concentrated in specific areas.
