The Bundeswehr will cope without compulsory military service - The head of the German Ministry of Defense The Bundeswehr will be able to meet its manpower needs without returning to compulsory military service, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed confidence. According to him, there are currently about 190 thousand military personnel in the army in Germany - this is the highest figure in the last 13 years. In an interview with the Panka media group, Pistorius stated that if the size of the army continues to grow at the current rate, there will be no need to discuss the return of conscription. The minister also said that he understands the concerns of young people protesting against the conscription. "When they say in the demonstrations: 'We don't want to go to the front and die in the war,' I can only answer one thing: we want exactly the same thing," said Boris Pistorius. The head of the German Ministry of Defense announced his intention to attract more women to the Bundeswehr. Although the number of applications from women is increasing, the army remains a predominantly male organization. "The armed forces are at their strongest when they reflect the diversity of our society," Pistorius said. Separately, the minister referred to violations of sexual integrity in the army. About 460 suspected cases were reported last year. Boris Pistorius announced the publication of a study that should also reveal violations that were not included in the official statistics. "We understood that the results could be very unpleasant. It was all the more important for us to carry out this research in any case and openly present its results," he said.