Ukraine divided: why men who don't want to be soldiers are dividing the country

Almost three years into the conflict, Ukraine continues to endure the harsh realities of war, with fatigue and heartache palpable among its population. A recent report from Euronews highlights the harrowing toll: since the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukraine has lost at least 70,000 soldiers in defense of the nation.

Nearly three years after the onset of conflict, Ukraine remains entrenched in the severe conditions of war. The nation's weariness and sorrow are evident as it grapples with ongoing struggles. According to a recent Euronews report, since the outbreak of the Russian offensive in 2022, Ukraine has suffered the loss of at least 70,000 soldiers in its defensive efforts.

In addition to the soldiers who have died, many other soldiers have been injured, and it has been challenging to keep the number of Ukrainian troops as high as needed to continue to protect Ukraine.

Throughout 2024, the Ukrainian government has sought ways to mobilize more men and increase troop numbers. As reported by the BBC, in May 2024, a new law was introduced that demands that all Ukrainian men between the ages of 25 and 60 put their personal details into the government's electronic database so that they can be called up for service.

Under the new law, draft dodgers face harsh penalties such as losing their driving license, having their bank accounts frozen, and having property seized.

Naturally, many men are not keen to register their information, and conscription officers have been trying to hunt down the Ukrainian men who are not complying, causing many men to go into hiding to avoid having to serve in the military.

After more than two years of war, nearly all Ukrainians have lost family members or friends to the conflict, so, understandably, some men are not keen to fight. However, those trying to remain in Ukraine and avoid conscription have a very difficult task.

The BBC reports that the Ukrainian mobilization squads have earned a "fearsome reputation." Witnesses spoke to the news outlet about seeing men being yanked off buses and trains and being taken directly to enlistment centers.

With Ukrainian mobilization squads patrolling the streets, draft dodgers still in the country must hide, avoiding public transport, restaurants, supermarkets, and outings on the weekends.

Given how difficult it is to remain in Ukraine and avoid conscription, the goal of most men is to find a way out of the country. According to The Guardian, despite a ban preventing men between ages 18 and 60 from leaving Ukraine, since the war began, thousands of men have managed to flee the country illegally.

One man who went by the name Dmytro told The Guardian he is waiting on handlers to help smuggle him out of the country in the fall. Dmytro said that before the new stricter inscription law, he had no plans to flee his country, but now that has changed, "I can't stay in my flat forever," Dmytro told the newspaper.

Naturally, abandoning his country illegally is not easy or cheap. Dmytro told The Guardian that he paid his handlers, whom he met online, € 8,000 for his upcoming escape.

Dmytro's reasons for not fighting are identical to those cited to the BBC by other draft dodgers. Dmytro told The Guardian, "I am not made for war. I can't kill people, even if they are Russians. I won't last long on the front … I want to build a family and see the world. I am not ready to die."

As highlighted in a BBC piece on Ukrainian draft dodgers, the practice has divided Ukrainian society. In general, support for Ukraine's troops remains high, and many men are still willing to be mobilized and serve their country.

Those avoiding conscription cause tensions and division in the workplace and in social settings,  when someone's boyfriend or brother is fighting on the frontlines while they know their colleague is hiding their boyfriend at home so he doesn't have to serve things can get awkward.

The Guardian highlights that the Ukrainian soldiers who are currently fighting or those who have been released from duty due to injuries criticize their country mates who are not willing to fight, claim that it is weakening Ukraine's effort to fight Russia.

An injured soldier spoke anonymously to The Guardian in Kyiv, saying, "I understand that people are scared, but we simply need new recruits to keep fighting. If not us, then who will protect this country?"

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