Ukraine's desperate struggle to recruit enough soldiers has erupted into violence, with recruitment officers being attacked in the streets as fear of the front line deepens during the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion. Veterans who once fought on the battlefield now say they are being assaulted by the very people they defended.

Former frontline machine gunner Vasyl Krupych knows the horrors of war better than most. He survived brutal fighting in the eastern Donbas, but says one of his most shocking experiences came last December while searching for suspected draft dodgers in the rear.

Krupych recalls that two men refused to show their documents before running away. When his patrol chased them, he says one attacker struck him repeatedly with a crowbar, breaking a rib and leaving him unable to breathe. He spent six weeks in hospital recovering.

"What did we fight for, if soldiers can now get beaten?" he asked, reflecting on the attack.

Ukraine's military ombudswoman says assaults on recruitment officers have become "regular" and now represent "a major problem." The latest National Police Service report recorded more than 600 attacks on recruitment officers and warned that aggression has become "increasingly threatening."

The crisis burst into national headlines in April when several recruiters were stabbed, including one fatally. This month, around 200 protesters in Lviv surrounded recruitment officers attempting to detain a suspected draft dodger before smashing and overturning their vehicle.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the violence against serving soldiers. However, his subsequent decision to dismiss Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov following a disagreement with Ukraine's commander-in-chief has left broader reforms to the mobilisation system on hold.

Many Ukrainians describe the current mobilisation drive as "busification" — a term used for patrols that detain eligible men and transport them for military service. Opposition MP Oleksandr Honcharenko argues that aggressive recruitment tactics have fuelled public anger, saying officers are "hunting for people on the streets" and that "violence leads to violence."

Military analyst Ivan Stupak says manpower shortages forced commanders to intensify mobilisation. He says when additional troops are needed, recruitment patrols become more active, sometimes leading to confrontations when men refuse to comply.

Criticism is not directed solely at those resisting mobilisation. Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner recorded more than 6,000 complaints last year involving recruitment officers, double the 2024 figure. Allegations include abuse, unlawful detention and poor conditions at recruitment centres.

University professor Kyrylo Ogdansky, who says he is exempt from military service, alleges he was assaulted by recruitment personnel in Dnipro after objecting to a document check. He claims he was pushed into a bus, repeatedly punched in the head and threatened with being sent directly to the front line before spending two weeks in hospital with suspected neck injuries and severe facial bruising.

Although reluctant to speak publicly because of concerns over Russian propaganda, Ogdansky says silence would only allow the problem to continue. He insists that while Ukraine faces a genuine mobilisation challenge, officials have no right to use violence.

Krupych, meanwhile, remains proud of his military service despite carrying both physical injuries and psychological scars. He believes better pay could encourage more volunteers but ultimately sees few alternatives while casualties continue to mount.

"It can't be done differently," he says. "Our lads need to be replaced. But nobody volunteers. Everyone is afraid to die."

Before his dismissal, Fedorov had begun introducing reforms, including fixed-term contracts, improved salaries and proposals to overhaul conscription. Ideas under discussion included transferring draft patrols to police, improving officer training and introducing psychological screening. Ukraine now openly acknowledges the crisis, but with only an acting defence minister in place, a lasting solution remains out of reach.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr7k5ngde3vo

3 minutes ago, bannork said:

Many Ukrainians describe the current mobilisation drive as "busification" — a term used for patrols that detain eligible men and transport them for military service. Opposition MP Oleksandr Honcharenko argues that aggressive recruitment tactics have fuelled public anger, saying officers are "hunting for people on the streets" and that "violence leads to violence."

Thought this was a fight for democracy. Guess we can suppose that if Ukraine was a true democracy of freedom then the folks would see the value of fighting for it. In the US they’d just get thrown into the brig/can.