Addressing the growing number of soldiers absent without leave (AWOL) should be the first priority of Ukraine’s mobilization reform, former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said during a livestream on Thursday, Aug. 7. Fedorov said more than 200,000 service members are currently listed as AWOL, calling it one of the country’s most serious military personnel challenges.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The first task of mobilization reform should be solving the problem of AWOL,” Fedorov said during a livestream with activist and former adviser Serhii Sternenko. Fedorov proposes overhaul of mobilization system Fedorov said another major issue is the large number of Ukrainians wanted for violating mobilization rules, arguing that too many state resources are spent searching for and drafting them. He said his proposed reform would fundamentally change how the government approaches mobilization by improving communication with citizens, providing better military training and allowing recruits to choose the units in which they serve. “We wanted to create a system where, instead of having 2 million people wanted, people know they are subject to mobilization and have all the conditions to complete military service. Everyone else can continue working for the country’s economy,” Fedorov said. According to Fedorov, such changes would reduce the number of draft evasion cases while making recruitment more transparent and efficient. Fedorov says reform would strengthen both army and economy Fedorov argued that a more predictable mobilization system would benefit both Ukraine’s Armed Forces and its economy.