In southwest Ukraine, an unsettling silence pervades the village of Makiv, where the streets echo with the absence of its men. Once bustling with the activity of its fighting-age male population, the village now tells a tale of forced conscription, fear, and a community bracing itself against the backdrop of a relentless war.
“It’s just a fact,” says Larysa Bodna, the deputy director of the local school, “Most of them are gone.” This stark reality is not unique to Makiv. Across Ukraine, villages and towns are being depleted of their male residents, leaving behind anxious families and a palpable sense of dread as the state mobilizes more troops to resist the advancing Russian forces.
Despite the Russian military suffering heavy casualties, their numbers still far outweigh those of Ukraine’s defenders, and this numerical superiority has allowed them to push forward on several fronts. The Ukrainian parliament has been contemplating a bill that would lower the conscription age from 27 to 25 to bolster their depleted forces. However, in places like Makiv, the urgency of reinforcement has led to aggressive recruitment tactics that have sown fear among the residents. Residents utilize Telegram channels to alert others about soldier sightings and exchange videos of troops coercing individuals into their vehicles, fueling speculations of abductions. Certain individuals have been imprisoned for declining to enlist.
Olha Kametyuk, aged 35, expressed her concern by stating that individuals are being apprehended in a manner similar to stray dogs on the street. Her husband, Valentin, aged 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 disorder, he reportedly underwent a brief 10-minute medical examination and was subsequently sent to the front lines, where he sustained injuries.
For the families of those conscripted, life has become a perpetual waiting game, punctuated by dread and hope. Maya Proskurivska, 63, conceals the grim reality of her missing son-in-law from his children, projecting hope when there is little to be found.
The village’s agony is compounded by the ambiguous fate of those missing in action. Tanya, 42, has been in limbo for over a year, grappling with the uncertain status of her husband, Serhii, who vanished in combat. “The first is he’s not among the dead,” a fellow soldier told her, “The second is he’s not among the living.”
Meanwhile, some Ukrainian men opt for self-imposed exile rather than facing the draft. Reports suggest that upwards of 300,000 Ukrainian men have left the country, with neighboring states witnessing illegal crossings as these individuals seek refuge from conscription. The Slovak Defense Minister, Robert Kaliňák, has suggested that instead of deploying NATO troops, efforts should be made to facilitate the return of these draft-age Ukrainian men to fight for their nation.
Relevant articles:
– In this Ukrainian village,almost no men are left
– In this Ukrainian village, almost no men are left, The Washington Post, Sat, 16 Mar 2024 09:12:00 GMT
– Slovak defense minister: Instead of NATO troops, send draft-age Ukrainian men back home to fight, POLITICO Europe, Mon, 11 Mar 2024 19:28:00 GMT
– Desperate to avoid the draft, CBC News, Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT