While the Ministry Invites Volunteers, the General Staff Orders All DFTG Fighters to Be Mobilized
Amid today’s news about the Ministry of Defense’s experimental initiative to involve volunteers in air defense groups, a directive from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ordering the full mobilization of all members of Territorial Volunteer Formations (DFTG) appears particularly cynical.
As Ukrainian Military Pages has learned, the directive requires Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRC) to carry out the mobilization of 100% of DFTG volunteers who do not have deferrals or exemptions and who are eligible for service based on age and health status.
Notably, participation in Mobile Fire Groups (MFG) — the very type of air defense units being piloted by the Ministry — is not recognized as a reason to defer mobilization, nor is previous training as gunners or machine gunners.
According to the directive, all eligible DFTG volunteers were supposed to be mobilized by May 30. However, in reality, only a few have been conscripted. As a result, the General Staff has launched an internal investigation into the "poor implementation" of the directive and extended the mobilization deadline.
It’s worth noting that DFTG’s MFGs, along with similar units from regular army anti-aircraft machine gun battalions and the National Guard, form the backbone of air defense across much of Ukraine’s territory — especially in defending against Shahed-type loitering munitions and other aerial threats.
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