All Ukrainians must fight – general

09.04.2024 10:11

Ukrainian trainee during combat exercises
Photo: Getty Images / Ashley Chan; SOPA Images; LightRocket

Ukrainian citizens must realize that none of them will be able to escape mobilization as Kiev’s military suffers personnel shortages, Land Forces Commander Aleksandr Pavlyuk warned in a Facebook post on Monday.

Last Wednesday, Ukraine lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks.

In his message, Pavlyuk urged Ukrainians “to put aside their emotions,” and enlist in the Armed Forces, stating that “the army and the people are inseparable” and that “the protection of the state is the constitutional duty of a citizen.”

“It is necessary to understand that no one can sit this out. The face of the country, the fate of our people is at stake,” the commander wrote. He suggested that no one would be spared by Russia in the fighting, “neither those who hid, nor those who betrayed Ukraine.”

The general admitted that the situation on the front line “is not easy” but suggested that it was “far more predictable and controlled” than it was two years ago. However, he stressed that no matter how much help in the form of money or weapons Ukraine receives from abroad, it is still lacking in manpower.

Pavlyuk also noted the negative attitude of Ukrainians towards the employees of the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCC) which are in charge of mobilizing the population. The general insisted that such hostility was unacceptable, as many of the TCC workers were veterans, and stressed that citizens “have no right to make them feel guilty, unwanted or unsafe before those whose lives they literally saved.” At the same time, he admitted that “the TCC system is not perfect” and that the government is working on improving it.

Previously, the general had said he felt no sympathy for any Ukrainians who had died while trying to avoid being forcibly drafted into military service and suggested that no such feelings should be expressed towards draft dodgers because it undermines mobilization efforts.

That was after reports revealed that dozens of Ukrainian men had drowned while trying to swim across the Tisza River on the border with Romania to escape enlistment. Additionally, the Ukrainian Border guard service released images of officers beating and humiliating dozens of men who were caught during attempts to be smuggled across the Ukrainian border.

According to the latest figures from the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine has lost more than 80,000 troops since January and more than 444,000, including 166,000 killed, seriously wounded, or captured, since the beginning of the conflict.