In the quiet agricultural community of Makiv, southwest Ukraine, an unsettling calm belies a stark reality: almost no men of fighting age are left. The streets, once abuzz with the daily grind of rural life, now echo with a silence punctuated by fear and uncertainty. This once-thriving village, approximately 45 miles from the borders of Romania and Moldova, has become a poignant symbol of the human cost of war as it witnesses its male population drafted and deployed to the front lines.
As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia intensifies, with Ukrainian forces stretched thin by casualties, injuries, and sheer exhaustion, the nation finds itself in desperate need of more troops to hold the line. Despite Russia’s own heavy losses, their numerical superiority on the battlefield remains a critical advantage. This pressing need for personnel has led to a contentious debate in Ukraine’s parliament, considering proposals to expand the draft pool by lowering the eligibility age to 25.
The impact on communities like Makiv has been profound. Civilians report that military recruiters are relentless in their pursuit of eligible men, creating an atmosphere of panic and resentment. “People are being caught like dogs on the street,” recounts Olha Kametyuk, whose husband was conscripted after being stopped for a routine check.
According to the locals, military recruiters are reportedly apprehending individuals indiscriminately. In the western regions, the mobilization campaign has caused increasing panic and resentment among the inhabitants of small farming communities such as Makiv. Residents claim that soldiers employed by the draft offices are patrolling the sparsely populated streets in search of any remaining men. These tactics have led to a belief among some that their male population is being unfairly targeted compared to other areas or larger cities like Kyiv, where evading detection is supposedly easier.
To alert others, the locals have resorted to using Telegram channels to share information about sightings of soldiers and to circulate videos depicting troops forcefully escorting men into their vehicles. These incidents have fueled rumors of abductions. As a result, some men have been imprisoned for refusing to comply with the conscription process.
Military service, often seen as an honorable duty, has become an unescapable reality with lethal consequences for many. Oleksii, a villager who was conscripted while repairing his car, returned home with physical and psychological scars after three concussions and shrapnel wounds.
The village’s collective grief is tangible. This month, villagers in Makiv buried another of their own — Ihor Dozorets, a contract soldier who was wounded so badly that his son, also a soldier, identified him only by a scar on his hand. “He wanted to come home,” Ihor’s sister, Inna Melnyk, 43, said through tears. “He was tired of it all. But what can we do?”
In the midst of this turmoil, children like Polina, 16, bear witness to the effects of war on their families, as draft-eligible men like her father become increasingly scarce. Instances of men being summoned while performing mundane tasks, such as shopping at the local store, reinforce the pervasive dread that has settled over Makiv.
For those who have been spared thus far, the draft looms like a shadow. Vasyl Hrebeniuk, at 70 years of age, regularly encounters questioning soldiers, illustrating that even those beyond the draft limit are not immune to scrutiny. Families are torn between pride and despair, as those like Tetiana Lychak, a schoolteacher who lost her husband on the front line, grapple with the idea of military service becoming a hereditary burden.
In an echo of the front lines, those like Maya Proskurivska hide the harsh truth from children about missing fathers, while others like Eleanora Voropanova, a mere four years old, starkly states, “Dad is at war.” The psychological toll on these families is immense, with the village enveloped in an almost palpable sense of mourning and foreboding.
Makiv’s story is a microcosm of the larger struggle faced by Ukraine as it seeks to defend its sovereignty against an aggressor that shows little sign of relenting. As the drafts continue, villages like Makiv pay a heavy price, sacrificing their fathers, sons, and brothers to the warfront, leaving behind a community grappling with the voids they leave and the uncertainty of what the future holds.
Relevant articles:
– In this Ukrainian village,almost no men are left
– Men detained at Navalny vigils in St. Petersburg handed military draft summonses, monitoring group says, CNN, Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT
– ‘They Will Send The Army To Ukraine’: Bulgarian Social Media Flooded With Rumors Of Military Draft, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Thu, 02 Feb 2023 08:00:00 GMT
– As Russia drafts young men, some fear ending up on Ukraine’s front line, The Washington Post, Fri, 01 Apr 2022 07:00:00 GMT