On Tuesday at 8.16 p.m. on the Telegram app, on a channel followed by thousands of residents of Odessa, there was a message: “Ołhijska halt close the art museum is simply quite a few clouds”. Around 20 soldiers and police officers halt traffic at the site. As a bus or tram approaches, they give the driver a sign and then block the entrances and control the men of draft age. On Tuesday morning, however, women mostly drove. – As shortly as we show up, people tell each other. - A cop sighs. Without the power to usage force, soldiers limited themselves to giving men calls for commissions. If they do not comply, they may be arrested.
The army wants more soldiers.
W Ukraine around men of draft age tightens the loop. In early April, the Ukrainian parliament signed a bill on mobilization, which aims to simplify the enlistment of men aged 25 to 60. If they deviate from the obligation, they may lose their licence and be fined 17 000 hryvnia, or about 400 euro. According to 1 of the fewer reports revealed in February by Volodymyr Zelenski, as of 24 February 2022 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed. In order to dismiss the collapse, the military is considering mobilising from 450,000 to 500,000 Ukrainians.
32-year-old Sasha is an electromechanical engineer. By the summertime of 2023, he worked in a workshop in Odessa and led almost average life. But since the fall the spectrum of mobilization began to become more real; So Sasha started hiding. He only goes out of the flat to store and do casual work from home. The man claims he is neither arrogant nor satisfied with his situation. – I'm sorry I gotta act like this.. But it's stronger than me, I don't have the guts... Like quite a few people in a akin situation, they hide behind accusations of corruption that weigh on recruiting officers. A young man at the same time says that he is very anxious to win his country. Convinced that everyone should contribute to the war effort, would like to do so by paying taxes or donations to the army: – We're not all made to hold a gun.
Guilty of Russian propaganda?
Captain Alina is utilized to specified words. – Some young people are ready to be called. Others are indecisive. But most of them do their best to avoid us. – explains the officer. In her opinion, many people are deceived by rumors spread by Russian propaganda. – Movies showing sergeants making violent arrests on the streets Odessa is flooding the net. To dispel suspicions, recruiters are now equipped with individual cameras. – Very often, recruits are convinced that mobilization is equivalent to a death sentence. We explain to them that they have the right to choose specialization and that they will be decently trained...
According to Eurostat, since the Russian invasion, the country has left about 650 000 Ukrainians in draft age. Sergeant Paulo, who serves in the Zaporosian region, regrets that the authorities do not usage more decisive methods. – Bo slife is hard – emphasises, explaining that any of his brigade companies lost up to 60% of the state.
This drama perfectly highlights the weaknesses of Ukrainian society. The vast majority of Ukrainians inactive advocate the continuation of the war until the liberation of the occupied territories, while more people than 2 years ago uncertainty that this goal is possible in a short time.
The counteroffensive fiasco and freezing of American aid cost many lives and crossed the hopes of a fast end to war. That is why many young men are afraid to sacrifice their lives in vain. As quoted above, Sasha says she is worried: – The gap between those who fight and the others is deepening. And I don't know how we're gonna be able to overcome this...