In brief
Ukraine remains on edge as the conflict’s fifth year tests the limits of its military manpower. Young men are shying from enlistment, fearful of front‑line combat and uncertain if the war will end. To fill the gap, recruitment officers are prosecuting conscription, but they face escalating violence, with more than 600 assaults and several stabbings reported. President Zelensky condemned the attacks, underscoring the risk to soldiers’ safety.
Ukraine has struggled to fill ranks as the war with Russia enters its fifth year, with many young men reluctant to take up arms due to fear of the front line and uncertainty about the conflict’s end.
This reluctance has led to a wave of violence against military recruiters, who are tasked with forcibly conscripting citizens willing to serve.
The National Police Service reports over 600 assaults on recruiters so far, with April seeing several stabbed and one fatality.
In May, around 200 protesters besieged recruiters in Lviv, breaking and overturning the officers’ car, while President Zelensky condemned the criminal attacks for their threat to soldiers’ safety.
