War, Ukraine cancels leave clause. Fury among the soldiers of Kiev –

The mood of the Kiev troops drops further. With the Ukrainian army outnumbered by Russia on the battlefield, «the offensive continues along the entire front line. And currently it is impossible to weaken the defense forces,” Dmytro Lazutkin, spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, announced yesterday on state television, sparking the soldiers’ anger for having deleted a clause in a bill that would have given those who spent long periods fighting on the front lines for the chance to return home. “We cannot make hasty decisions now,” explained Volodymyr Zelensky’s man, underlining the military’s opposition to the measure.

Military leaders have been pressuring politicians to abandon a bill, passed at first reading in February, that would have given soldiers serving more than 36 months the option of being discharged. The bill was approved at first reading in parliament in February. But that clause was removed yesterday, before the second reading, following an appeal by the army chief and defense minister. Yet another problem to face for Zelensky, who has already changed the top management of the military command in recent weeks.