Zaluzhny is really digging into Zelensky.
Remember some months ago there was a scandal regarding widespread corruption in Ukraine's military recruitment centers?
People were paying bribes for fake deferrals, or permits to leave the country. Those that weren't able to pay their way out, were manhandled in the streets and stuffed into vans.
Zelensky's very much populist reaction was to fire the head of every single regional recruitment center.
Today in an interview, Zaluzhny was asked how he would rate the work of the new Western-style recruiting campaign that is supposed to replace the Soviet system of mobilization. He said it was too early to judge the effectiveness of the new approach, but at the same time believes it would be prudent to put back in place the old framework.
Zaluzhny said this was an urgent task driven by the needs of the mobilized men at the front, some of which have been fighting non stop since the start of the war. Someone has to replace those exhausted men - otherwise morale will continue to slide, and more territory will be lost.
Asked by the journalist what he thought about the corruption scandal related to those recruiting centers, and Zelensky's summary firing of every single regional head - Zaluzhny replied: "Those people were professionals that knew how to do their job. Now they are not there."
In other words - Zaluzhny has accused Zelensky of sabotaging Ukraine's mobilization efforts through his poorly thought out and populist decisions.
Quick brief on what Zaluzhny wants:
1) Soviet legacy recruitment centers to be re-staffed with the same people that had been working there prior to all being fired.
2) Lower the age limit on people without military experience that are eligible for mobilization from 27 to at least 25 years, or even better 19-21.
3) Mobilize at least 20,000 people monthly, in order to be able to form reserves, and reconstitute shattered brigades.
Zelensky is already 25 points behind Zaluzhny in the polls. If he starts taking people's 20 year old kids away, that have zero military experience, and sending them to the front - his popularity will tank even harder.
Another problem, just like in Russia, is that the generation of 18-27 year olds is very, very small compared to the generation of guys in their 30s and 40s. There were practically no kids born in the 90s and early 2000s. These are children that are literally precious to the continuation of both countries. Sending them into the meat grinder will be a harrowing decision.