‘To face the possibility of being sent to the front lines or to evade and face punishment and condemnation’: Ukrainian men now face a choice

Ukrainian men now face a choice: “to face the possibility of being sent to the front lines or to evade and face punishment and condemnation.”

CNN reports this, analyzing the intensification of mobilization in Ukraine. The article is titled “Everyone Will Fight.”

One commander stated that “the shortage of personnel has a devastating impact on the battlefield.” “If there had been 1,000-1,500 more soldiers in Avdiivka, we would have protected the weak points through which the enemy penetrated,” he said.

Some Ukrainian officers are concerned that they will now have units “full of people who are only there because someone forced them.” A commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that “some recruits” are unprepared and leave their positions during combat.

“Infantry sent to the front lines need to undergo special training to become real professionals. Because they come here, drop their weapons, and flee their positions,” he said.

According to CNN, the new law has prompted many Ukrainians, who realize the inevitability of mobilization, to actively seek units where they are willing to serve.

The publication also spoke with a Ukrainian who stated that if he received a summons, he would try to bribe someone and leave the country.

“If I had to choose between fighting or going abroad, I would choose to leave, I would bribe someone. My life comes first. And I understand that the likelihood of being killed is very high,” he said.

In his opinion, Ukraine does not have enough weapons to reclaim the territory seized by Russia militarily. “The only way, he says, is a political agreement that will lead to Ukraine reclaiming its land,” the Ukrainian stated.

Another problem CNN identifies is demographics. Lowering the draft age to 25 “is unlikely to make much difference.”

“High emigration and low birth rates in the 1990s and 2000s mean that there are now far fewer people in their 20s compared to those in their 30s and 40s,” the publication writes.