Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said he could not predict the cost of additional mobilization for the 2024 budget. In an interview with Forbes, he explained that he does not yet have enough information for this.

At a press conference on December 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned the amount of UAH 500 billion, but according to Marchenko, this is a simplified approach based on the current number of troops (more than 1 million) and the size of the monetary support fund (UAH 1 trillion).

"But simple addition does not work here. Questions arise: which units do we provide, why, are we funded according to actual or planned numbers, are they provided for everything else, or are these additional 500,000 to replace existing units or to create new ones? I have no answer to these questions," the minister said.

It is impossible to increase the army by 500,000 people in one day, the minister said, so it is obvious that this increase will be stretched over time.

"There are many issues, and I would like to talk about money and needs last. Because we can think about money, but we need a plan. If there is a plan, there will be a conversation," he said.

"Given the current situation, there will be no additional needs for the first quarter. How the situation will develop further will depend on how the mobilization is ensured. Because even theoretically, mobilizing 500,000 people is a very, very serious challenge," the minister said.