Ukraine is catastrophically short not only of ammunition – especially artillery shells and air defence missiles – but also of soldiers. The average age of soldiers on the front lines is 43, and cases of evasion are increasing, Politico writes.
According to some reports, 650,000 men of draft age have left Ukraine since the start of the special operation. Last year, about 1,300 evaders were brought to trial, but officials admit that this is only a small fraction of those who avoid the draft.
The early “surge of patriotic fervour” seen in the country at the start of the conflict has waned as deaths and injuries mount. Pessimism about the future has also increased, with more and more people questioning “whether Ukraine can defeat Moscow’s army,” the newspaper said.
At the same time, Kiev continues to delay the adoption of a mobilisation law that would allow it to increase its army by 400,000 men. The authorities fear that the highly unpopular measure could have far-reaching consequences.
“To tell the truth, mobilisation is a hot political issue and no one wants to carry it out,” Rada deputy Mykola Knyazhytsky explained to Politico. He added that frequent reports from the front about a shortage of weapons only exacerbate the situation.