Scrambling to find new-and-old recruits into Ukraine’s army since the Feb. 24, 2022 start of the Ukraine War, Ukrainian recruiters are having a difficult time replenishing Ukraine forces after sustaining mass casualties in the last 15 months battling the Kremlin. Ukraine’s 40 million population has plenty of age-eligible recruits, specified as 18 to 60, a wide age range, far greater than the 35-year-old limit to the U.S. military at times of the U.S. draft. Kiev’s government, led by 45-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is sworn to secrecy about the level of Ukrainian casualties in the first 15 months of war. Ukraine publishes estimate of Russian losses but never Ukrainian casualties, estimate in the neighbor of 130,000 or more. But Zelensky never talks about Ukraine’s looses of personnel or territory. Zelensky’s narrative from the start of the war are all about Russian losses.
Zelensky’s tight-knit war junta, led by himself and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and propaganda minister Kyrlyo Budanvov fiercely defend the propriety of Kiev’s losses in terms of personnel and territory. Zhenya Pereepitsa, a Ukrainian army recruit who rehabbed for post-traumatic stress, has signed up again due to the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive. Government officials find themselves scrambling to fill empty recruiting spaces, deciding to sign up for a second tour. Zhenya said he thinks the government has done too good of propaganda about Ukrainian casualties. “ I don’t want people to think it’s easy and the job is already done,” Zhenya said. Zhenya noted that government propaganda has been so effective in convincing people that Kiev is winning the war against the Kremlin. Ukrainian army recruiters have gone knocking door-to-door to find new army recruits.
Ukrainian recruiters go door-to-door to find age-eligible recruits, apparently hiding from oonscription. Kiev officials say daily that Russian troop have abandoned position and run from the battlefield. Zhenya said that conscripts have avoided the call-up, knowing the dangers of military service. Zhenya joined the army as a member of 700-strong volunteers in the Territorial Defense Force, captured by Russian forces as they approached Kiev in the early days of the war. Given a rifle and a grenade launcher before issued a uniform, Zhenya shared the chaos in the early days of the war. Zhenya was redeployed after the initial defense of Kiev, sent o the Luhank front in Donbas. Zhentya said he was captured in Sveroodonetsk and Lyschansk when he fell into enemy in the eastern Luhansk region. Zhenya said Ukraine’s recruiters are re-upping former soldiers for a second tour.
Zhernya’s story confirms what Zelensky doesn’t want the U.S. or NATO to know that they have trouble recruiting troops into the Ukrainian army. No one knows the extent of Ukrainian casualties because the government protects against disclosing closely guarded secrets to the press. Martial law, declared during the early days of the conflict, continues in effect, banning 18 to 60-year-olds from leaving the country. Ukraine’s recruits getting sent to the frontlines almost certain death in Donetsk and Luhansky oblasts. Zelsenksy only talks about the heroism of Ukrainian troops in defending Ukraine against Russian invaders. He makes no mention of the casualties or stress on Ukraine’s population from defending the war. Zelensky has been offered a number of peace plans but has rejected all of them unless accepting his 10-point peace plan, requiring Russian troops to leave Kiev’s sovereign territory.
President Joe Biden continues to give Kiev a virtually blank check when it comes to funding the government and war with the Kremlin. Kiev propaganda tells its war-torn population that he’s winning the war against the Kremlin, promising a decisive victory in the coming months, pushing Russian forces out of Ukraine. However long the counteroffensive has gone on, Kiev has not capture back some 25% of lost sovereign territory. If you listen to Zelensky, Russian occupiers are chasing Russia out of Ukraine, despite no evidence to the claims of Ukrainian victory. Zelensky continues to send the message nightly that Ukraine’s heroic army are whipping Russia in all parts of Ukraine to encourage army recruitment. Whatever recruitment problems Ukraine faces, Zelensky must be held accountable for sending so many Ukrainian soldiers to their deaths, telling them victory is near.
Kiev’s war propaganda has deceived many Ukrainian recruits seeking to avoid service because of the risks. Instead of pushing war, Zelensky should be working feverishly for a ceasefire and peace talks. Calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “monster” and “insane” doesn’t protect Ukrainian citizens currently sent to their deaths, when the conflict could be resolved at the peace table. Zelensky and Biden insist that Putin leave every inch of Ukrainian sovereign territory and pay for reparations before agreeing to enter any peace negotiations. Zelensky clearly bit off more than he could chew going to war against the Kremlin. Only Biden and Zelensky can end to carnage and destruction by letting U.N. peacekeepers more the conflict from the battlefield to the peace table. Judging by Kiev’s problems with recruiting, the Ukrainian people have tried to send Zelensky a strong message.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
