Desperate for soldiers, Ukraine weighs unpopular plan to expand the draft

Two years ago, as the Russian army launched a full-scale invasion, men from Ukraine fervently flocked to enlistment centres around the nation, prepared to give their lives in defence of their homeland.

That will to enroll has diminished now that Russia controls about 25% of Ukraine and the two forces are almost at a standstill on a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line: By hiding at home or attempting to buy their way out of combat, a large number of Ukrainian males are avoiding the conscription.

Leaders complain that their army is too small and composed of too many fatigued and wounded men at the cold and muddy front line. The most pressing and politically delicate issue facing Ukraine as the war approaches its third year is whether it can recruit enough new soldiers to defeat an opponent that has access to much more combatants.

Russia has a population that is over three times larger than Ukraine’s, and in the event that not enough men volunteer, President Vladimir Putin has indicated that he is prepared to compel soldiers to the front.

Not only is Ukraine beset by a shortage of soldiers, but it is also in dire need of Western military assistance, which has become more elusive as the conflict continues. But only Ukraine can find a solution to the issue of mobilising enough soldiers.

The Ukrainian government is finding it difficult to strike a balance between persuasion and compulsion in order to restock its ranks.