The Ukrainian military is facing severe personnel shortages as Russia sends more and more troops to the front. What solutions are there?

Mobilizing new soldiers to fight against the Russian invasion presents Volodymyr Zelensky with a big problem. As the Ukrainian president stated, “the issue of mobilization is very sensitive.”

The commanders of the Ukrainian armed forces, which are equipped with Western weapons, have been calling for troops for the front for months – an extra 450,000 to 500,000 troops are said to be needed. But in addition to the financial difficulties, with expenses reaching, according to Zelensky, close to 12.2 billion euros, which have not yet been collected, there is also a problem of motivation.

Many want to avoid the military

Thousands of men try to escape abroad, wanting to avoid military service. Border controls are tight – arrests are occasionally made – and many have bribed officials to buy their tenure.

Heading into the third year of the war, Zelensky is therefore not only worried about the limited financial support of the Western allies – despite the shortages in the West, he himself continues to persistently request arms and ammunition. His army also expects from him a solution to the lack of personnel. Every day there are many dead and injured, while thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been captured.

The Kremlin offers high fees

Vladimir Putin has been calculating for a long time that at some point Ukraine will run out of soldiers. The Russian president has not only increased the number of soldiers, but has also attracted thousands of volunteers by offering them comparatively high wages for their service at the front. And Putin emphasizes that the Russian soldiers are the ones who again have the initiative in the war, as Ukraine is on the defensive.

Especially during the first year of the war the Russian troops suffered many defeats. Despite all this, they still own about 1/5 of the Ukrainian territory. Of the more than 800,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the armed forces, about 300,000 were sent directly to the front line.

Men are forced into military service

The desperate search for new soldiers is evident even in malls, restaurants and gyms. Heavily armed military men are often seen in public places trying to take men away and force them to undergo the health examinations for conscripts.

Zelensky has stated that “we cannot go after someone with a bat to send them to war, as Russia is doing.” But there are videos that have come to light showing the abuse of men who do not want to fight and who are forced by force to go to conscription offices.

In August, following reports of very low enlistment rates, systematic buyout of conscription, and corrupt commanders in conscription positions, Zelensky fired all regional conscription commanders. But the mobilization decreased even more.

Towards conscription?

Especially in the big cities the ranking percentages are now in the single digits. Although men between the ages of 18 and 60 who can serve are not allowed to leave the country, the numbers of deserters are increasing, although exactly how many can only be guessed at. However, according to Eurostat, in October they were registered as refugees only in the EU states. more than 700,000 Ukrainian men aged 18 to 64.

The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Kirylo Budanov, has an explanation for this. According to him, the majority of people like to shout “I am Ukrainian – Ukraine above all”, but in fact they do not feel themselves citizens of Ukraine, therefore they do not feel any “sacred duty” to defend the country. “Everyone is supporting Ukraine, but they are abandoning it.”

Shortages in military manpower can no longer be filled by volunteers. That is why the country will not be able to avoid compulsory conscription.

Unpopular solutions

Due to the difficult situation, the government seems to be forced to take some unpopular decisions. To facilitate access to more than 400,000 young men, the age of reservists will be lowered from 27 to 25 years. In addition, the criteria for conscription have been narrowed – men with only one arm or an amputated leg are conditionally considered fit to serve.

Even the recruitment of women is under discussion. Zelensky, however, has rejected the possibility of amending the legislation until now. More than 5% or about 43,000 members of the armed forces are women, of which 5,000 are at the front.

There is no immediate solution in sight. Recently, former foreign minister Vadim Pristaiko brought to the table the idea of ​​using Western soldiers – for example Great Britain. But this idea concerns the case of a “disastrous development of war”.

There were foreign volunteers in the so-called International Legion, but it now has no real role. For Western allies, the use of foreign soldiers has been taboo until now. Nevertheless, Ukraine is always proud that the West is breaking one taboo after another, with deliveries of armored vehicles, missiles and fighter planes. The pressure to help is great.