‘In the face of conscription, Ukrainian youth torn between fighting or fleeing’, – The Times

In Ukraine, there are hardly any volunteers left to fight, and the breakthrough of Russian forces towards Kyiv is quite real.

This is reported by The Times.

“The front line is 480 km away, but for the nervous young people from Podil, a district of Kyiv known for its nightclubs and cafes, war suddenly seems much closer. ‘I’m scared,’ says 31-year-old Dima, chain-smoking continuously.

Ukrainian generals have stated that there is no alternative to mass mobilization to stop Russia’s advance. Zelensky warned allies to expect further territorial losses and called on Ukrainian men who fled abroad to return and serve their country.

But under the bright spring sun of Kyiv, when asked about Zelensky’s mobilization efforts, the responses are unequivocal. A video producer, who refused to give their name, said they only travel between Ukrainian cities at night to avoid conscription.

Western partners, doubtful about arms supplies, are facing harsh calculations: the population of the remaining Ukraine is about 31 million compared to 144 million in Russia. The longer the military conflict continues, the greater the fear that numerical superiority will prevail.

Ukraine, suffering from the lowest birth rate in the world, has tried to shield its youth from the horrors of war. But now, with the average age of Ukrainian soldiers being 43 years old, the desire to defend the country’s future predominates.

In the Ukrainian capital, hundreds of thousands of people scour Telegram channels for advice on how to evade conscription. The messages are encrypted.

“They’ve just dumped a lot of snow on someone near the ‘Polytechnic Institute’ station,” writes one. “It’s very gloomy outside the ‘Festival’ shopping center,” reports another.

“People are accustomed to the idea that the front line is far away, that it’s unshakable. But the truth is that the Russians could break through at any moment. We could fight for Kyiv again. People don’t understand the threat,” says military medic Boris.