Key facts
- Ukraine faces a significant problem with violence against military recruiters and draft dodgers.
- Over 600 assaults on recruitment officers have been recorded, with incidents including stabbings and car-smashing.
- Serving soldiers like Vasyl Krupych and exempt civilians like Kyrylo Ogdansky have been victims of attacks.
- The violence is attributed to fear of the front lines and dissatisfaction with "brutal mobilisation" tactics.
- Reforms aimed at making military service more attractive were underway but may stall after the Defence Minister's dismissal.
Ukraine is grappling with a significant increase in violence directed at military recruiters and draft dodgers, a problem exacerbated by the ongoing full-scale invasion by Russia. Serving soldiers and civilians alike are experiencing or witnessing aggression as the country struggles to mobilize sufficient manpower for the front lines.
Vasyl Krupych, a machine gunner who survived intense battles in the Donbas, recounted being attacked by two men with a crowbar in December while searching for draft dodgers. He sustained a broken rib and spent six weeks in the hospital, questioning the purpose of his fight if soldiers are now assaulted by their own countrymen.
Ukraine's military ombudswoman has described such attacks as "regular" and a "major problem." The National Police Service has recorded over 600 assaults on recruitment officers, noting an increasingly threatening pattern. Incidents include recruiters being stabbed, one fatally, and a recent protest in Lviv where approximately 200 individuals surrounded officers and damaged their car while attempting to detain a suspected draft dodger. President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned this violence.
The reasons behind the resistance appear to stem from a deep-seated fear of the front lines, fueled by knowledge of casualties among friends and family, and a reluctance to commit to a war with no clear end in sight. The "brutal mobilisation" phase, as described by opposition MP Oleksandr Honcharenko, involves aggressive tactics by officers, which he believes are leading to a cycle of violence. Military analyst Ivan Stupak referred to the practice of "busification," where men are forcibly taken to recruitment centers, as a response to manpower shortages.
Complaints against recruiters themselves have also doubled, with over 6,000 recorded last year. These include allegations of abuse, unlawful detention, and poor conditions at recruitment centers. University professor Kyrylo Ogdansky, who is exempt from the draft, was assaulted by recruiters in Dnipro last November, sustaining injuries that required two weeks of hospitalization. Despite concerns about fueling Russian propaganda, Ogdansky spoke out, stating that officials have no right to act unlawfully.