Ukraine is “Catastrophically Short” of Soldiers, Writes Politico
By Intel Slava Z
Ukraine is “catastrophically short” of soldiers, writes Politico.
“The average age of Ukrainian front-line soldiers is 43 years old, and there is growing evidence that they are evading conscription,” the article says.
The publication explains the reluctance to mobilize as “pessimism” about the future conflict: “More and more people are wondering whether Ukraine is capable of defeating the forces of Moscow.”
Recruitment is now “haphazard and largely dependent on random identity checks by the police, who are more vigilant in some areas of the country than others.”
The newspaper’s source, a Ukrainian named Artyom, says he and his draft-dodging friends are afraid of being left in combat for months or years. “I’m young and I want to live my life. And it’s hard to go there and not know when I’ll return to normal life. I have friends who volunteered at the beginning of the war and are still fighting. So it’s like a one-way ticket.” , he says.
There is little that can convince Artyom to join the army. “My mother is a nurse and she sees the wounded and firmly tells me to stay away from it,” he says.
