As the war in Ukraine drags on, its impact on communities grows ever more profound. In the southwestern village of Makiv, a mere 45 miles from the borders of Romania and Moldova, the male population of fighting age is noticeably dwindling. Neighbors, friends, and family members have been either killed, wounded, or taken by the draft, which Ukrainian authorities are enforcing with increasing urgency amid a worsening manpower crisis.
The dire situation was echoed by Larysa Bodna, deputy director of the local school, who soberly admitted, “It’s just a fact, most of them are gone.” Ukraine’s parliament is considering legislation to expand the draft pool, including lowering the draft age, in a desperate bid to answer the army’s urgent needs.
The village, like many others in Ukraine’s western regions, is fraught with panic and resentment, particularly as people witness military recruiters actively seeking any draft-eligible men. These tactics, described by villagers, involve soldiers roaming near-empty streets and sometimes using force to enlist men.
Olha Kametyuk, 35, expressed that individuals are being apprehended in a similar manner to stray dogs on the street. Her husband, Valentin, 36, was conscripted in June by soldiers who requested his identification papers while he was taking a coffee break on the main road near Makiv. Despite being diagnosed with osteochondrosis, a joint condition, he reportedly passed his medical evaluation in a mere 10 minutes and was subsequently sent to the front lines, where he sustained injuries.
Even those who are beyond the draft age are not immune to scrutiny. Vasyl Hrebeniuk, at 70, has been stopped and questioned on multiple occasions, a clear sign that the authorities are leaving no stone unturned in their search for recruits.
While some men hide or flee abroad to avoid conscription, others like Artem resent those from eastern Ukraine who seek refuge in the west, believing it unfair that “our guys have to die there.”
Kaliňák mentioned that approximately 300,000 Ukrainian males have departed the nation following Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and are eligible to be conscripted in accordance with current mobilization regulations.
This small village encapsulates the broader challenges Ukraine faces—maintaining its defensive efforts amid casualties and exhaustion, the intense pressure on its recruitment system, and the societal strains that emerge as a result of the draft. The state’s search for more soldiers continues to alter the fabric of Ukrainian communities, leaving behind landscapes of absence that bear the personal costs of an ongoing and grueling conflict.
Relevant articles:
– In this Ukrainian village,almost no men are left
– Ukraine cracks down on draft-dodging as it struggles to find troops, The Washington Post, Fri, 08 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT
– Desperate to avoid the draft, CBC News, Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT
– Ukraine war: The men who don’t want to fight, BBC, Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT