Ukraine is desperate for soldiers: “We are exhausted. Trade us!”

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When Russia invaded Ukraine, Ivan Sadontsev reported for military service. But after almost two years of war, the 27-year-old Ukrainian is tired of fighting. ‘We are all exhausted. Trade us!” he demands. But there is no replacement in sight: Kiev is struggling to recruit enough soldiers to withstand Russian attacks.

“I’m angry. How long is this going to last?” growls Sadontsev, the press officer of the 24th Assault Battalion: “We need rest!” Serhiy Ogorodnyk, who heads an airborne company, agrees with Zadontsev. “People need holidays – not only to recover, to continue fighting, but also to take care of their civilian lives,” said the 39-year-old. Many soldiers find it unfair that some Ukrainians have been at the front since February 2024, while others have not yet been called up.

The enthusiasm has been dampened

The military leadership is faced with a problem: on the one hand, it needs recruits to replace the exhausted soldiers, but on the other hand, it also needs more men and women to strengthen the troops in the fight against the numerically superior attacker . But volunteer recruitment is progressing slowly. To remedy the situation, the government has introduced a bill to facilitate conscription. The planned new regulations have sparked a heated debate in the country.

The war drags on and last year’s counter-offensive failed: this dampens the enthusiasm of potential soldiers. A year ago, when Ukraine was having one success after another against Russia, he considered becoming a soldier, says Daniil, a hairdresser from Kiev. “At the time, everyone hoped that things would change for the better, that we could take everything back,” says the 27-year-old. “Now people are more realistic.” Military service is no longer an option for Daniil these days.

Excessive bureaucracy

Uncertainty about how long the West will continue to support Ukraine also contributes to battle fatigue, says Anton Grutschetsky of the International Institute of Sociology in Kiev. “Ukrainians were really willing to die on the battlefield if they felt strongly supported,” he says. “But when you know there are no weapons to fight, it is demotivating.”

A series of corruption scandals and excessive bureaucracy in the military also act as a deterrent. “I thought it would start right away,” said Yevgen Spirin, who joined the army four weeks ago. “Instead, you need a stamp here and a signature there,” he says, describing the back and forth between overloaded offices scattered across the city, a legacy of Soviet times.

Modernization is a challenge

There are now service providers who want to make recruiting easier. Recruitment Agency Lobby Modernizing the military system “is a very big challenge,” admits general director Vladyslaw Greziev. “But we have to face it because that is the only way we can win the war.” According to Greziev, the agency has already received 67,000 applications.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in December that he would mobilize another half a million soldiers. Zelensky wants to introduce an “efficient rotation system” of available troops and points out that of the “almost a million men” called up so far, only “a minority” are currently deployed to the front.

The conscription age should be lowered

The bill currently being debated in parliament proposes to lower the conscription age from 27 to 25 years, digitalize the recruitment system and limit wartime military service to 36 months. These changes worry many, who see them as a tightening of conscription. Reports are circulating on the internet about alleged military service on the streets.

However, forced recruits are not welcome in the force. “In our unit we don’t like it when men are drafted against their will,” says press officer Sadontsev. The military needs motivated, trained soldiers. Zadontsev hopes that his compatriots will realize the importance of a strong army. “We are fighting for the whole country, for our independence,” he says. “If we stop fighting, Ukraine will be occupied again.” (AFP)

Source: Blick