The Director of the Center for Army, Conversion, and Disarmament Studies and co-founder of the Consortium for Defense Information, Valentyn Badrak, shared his opinions with Espreso.“This area requires balanced yet very swift decisions. A prolonged drift of an imperfect mobilization system could lead to irreversible negative consequences. Ensuring equal conditions is the only way to cement society,” the expert notes.He adds that first, unified rules for troop rotations on the front lines must be established and enforced. Responsibility for carrying out rotations should fall on the commanders of corps, brigades, regiments, and battalions. In addition, decisive action from the current authorities is needed to change the mobilization situation.Among such measures, the expert highlights the need to decisively tackle corruption in bodies involved in mobilization. “The property of corrupt officials and those who enrich themselves illegally should be confiscated, and the proceeds used to purchase weapons for the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Everyone must understand that Ukrainian citizens are on equal footing regarding mobilization and fulfilling their constitutional duty to defend the state,” he notes.According to Badrak, it is necessary to prevent any form of “economic exemptions” from emerging or being implemented by removing that right from any institutions not directly involved in ensuring defense capability.Badrak proposes actually mobilizing civil servants while reducing the state apparatus two‑ to three‑ folds. He also believes a program should be launched to replace at least 50% of men in the entire state apparatus aged 27–45 (the age groups the military consider most effective in war) with women, war veterans, pensioners, and people with disabilities.“It is necessary to develop and promptly implement an effective program for all civil servants fit for service by age and health, covering their mobilization, active duty, and participation in combat – with a systematic rotation every 12 months,” he adds, also proposing to replace men with women in military rear‑area positions.Among the expert’s proposals is to raise military pay so that it is not lower than in other state institutions. Creating a special Recruiting Fund, which could be financed by large‑business contributions and donations from foreign states, would expand opportunities to recruit volunteers.“It is necessary to announce the implementation of universal military training for all citizens without exception — starting at age 18. This training should be specifically for war: participation in combat and the defense of the state, and should include medical training, mastering individual (small‑arms) weapons and the standard weapons of a platoon (grenade launchers, machine guns). This measure will have enormous psychological significance — by making all citizens, the whole society, feel involved in the most important task: defending the Motherland,” emphasizes Valentyn Badrak.He also believes it is necessary to improve the systematic work of bringing trained foreigners into the armed forces — both through a recruitment system and via foreign private military companies.“Undoubtedly, all these steps are difficult to implement, painful for the government's ratings, and impossible without proper political will. But we have few options,” the expert concludes.