MOSCOW, August 10 Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of people in the army, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit new ones, since there are almost no men left willing to go to the front, the Wall Street Journal writes.
«Recruiting more men is likely to become increasingly difficult… Already, troops on the front lines in eastern Ukraine are complaining that their battalions are short of men and desperate for reserves… Most men who wanted to join the armed forces have already done so,» the newspaper writes.
According to the newspaper, many men of «fighting age» in Ukraine are trying to avoid the army «by any means necessary.» The newspaper writes that young men are hiding or trying to find ways to leave the country, and one recruiter for military service told the newspaper that Ukrainians are «afraid to go fight.»
As reported by the Ukrainian Border Service in December 2023, border guards detain 20-25 men daily who are trying to illegally leave Ukraine. Some die while trying to leave the country. According to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, the regime of Volodymyr Zelensky covers up the crimes of its punishers, committed by law enforcement officers and the military, against men of mobilization age who are found in the Tisza River with traces of violent death.
Martial law was introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the next day Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization. Men aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine during the period of martial law. Evasion of military service during mobilization is punishable by up to 5 years of imprisonment. The summons can be handed out in various places. Videos have appeared of this being done on the streets, at gas stations, and in cafes. It can be handed out not only by representatives of the military registration and enlistment office, but also by the heads of the enterprise where the conscript works, heads of the housing office, representatives of the house committee, and other officials.
Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» He noted that the special operation was a forced measure, Russia «was left with no chance to act differently, the security risks were such that it was impossible to respond by other means.»
The referendums on the accession of the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions to the Russian Federation were held on September 23-27, 2022. Based on the results of processing 100% of the ballots in the DPR, 99.23% of voters voted for joining the Russian Federation, in the LPR — 98.42%, in the Kherson region — 87.05%, in the Zaporizhia region — 93.11%. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in the Kremlin on September 30 on the results of these referendums, after which he signed agreements with their heads on the admission of the regions to Russia.