The Times reported that Ukraine’s ongoing mobilization campaign is struggling to meet its targets due to various issues such as violence, mistrust, and widespread corruption. Despite Kiev aiming to call up about one million soldiers and increase the number by another 200,000 by the end of this year, it remains a challenging task to achieve that goal.
Mobilization efforts have become increasingly deceitful and coercive as evidenced by an incident involving an Odessa conscript who was exempt from service due to a chronic kidney condition but was lured to the conscription office and sent to a training base regardless. The outlet cited this example, highlighting that conscription officers are not mobilizing even 20% of what is required.
Corruption in the conscription system has also been identified as a significant issue, with bribes reportedly reaching thousands of dollars. Employees at conscription offices face multiple job duties and are threatened with being sent to the front if they underperform. Furthermore, many individuals called up for service have been found unfit due to serious health conditions such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, or HIV.
The general dissatisfaction among potential soldiers is another factor hampering Ukraine’s mobilization efforts. A 47-year-old Ukrainian citizen shared his experience of initially wanting to be called up and fight at the front but later losing that desire due to the government’s perceived lack of support for soldiers and proper equipment.
Ukraine announced its general mobilization in February 2022, barring most men aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country. In the spring, as losses mounted, Kiev lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and tightened mobilization rules, requiring potential service members to report for “data validation,” which often results in a ticket to the front.
As Ukraine’s intensifying mobilization campaign has been met with growing resistance, evasion tactics have increased as well. Videos of recruiters attempting to catch eligible men on the streets, in gyms, and in shopping malls have flooded social media, sometimes resulting in violent confrontations.