In the once-thriving village of Makiv in southwest Ukraine, the streets are hauntingly silent. The absence of men of fighting age is palpable, a stark reminder of the toll the military draft has taken on rural communities amid the enduring conflict with Russia. The village, which lies about 45 miles from the borders of Romania and Moldova, finds itself depleted as neighbors, friends, and family members have been drawn into the fray—some returning wounded, some not returning at all.
“It’s just a fact,” says Larysa Bodna, the deputy director of the local school. “Most of them are gone.” Their disappearance is not simply due to deployment; some have fled abroad, seeking refuge or methods to sidestep the draft through legitimate exemptions or less official means. The database at Bodna’s school, tracking students whose parents are on the front, underscores the scale of absence.
Ukraine, with forces ravaged by attrition, is in dire need of more troops. It faces a formidable adversary in Russia, whose own heavy losses have not tipped the balance in Ukraine’s favor. The invaders maintain numerical superiority—an edge that bolsters Moscow’s advances. In Kyiv, parliament deliberates over a bill to widen the draft pool, even considering lowering the eligibility age to 25. However, immediate solutions seem distant as the war’s demands grow increasingly urgent.
The desperate need for soldiers has led to aggressive recruitment tactics, particularly pronounced in the western regions where the void left by taken men fills with panic and deep-seated resentment.
In Makiv, stories of military recruiters roaming the streets to detain any available men have become commonplace, sparking rumors of abductions. Telegram channels are utilized by residents to alert others about the presence of soldiers and to distribute videos depicting troops coercing individuals into their vehicles. This has led to the spread of rumors regarding abductions. As a consequence, certain individuals have been incarcerated for their refusal to enlist.
“People are being caught like dogs on the street,” recounts Olha Kametyuk, whose husband was drafted after a seemingly benign stop for coffee. Despite a joint disorder, he was enlisted and later wounded on the front lines. Natalya Koshparenko, a local resident, reflects bitterly on the situation: “The whole village was taken this way.”
The impact is multi-generational. Polina, a teenager, fears for her father’s conscription, recounting a chilling episode where her friend’s father was drafted after a simple errand to a store. Older villagers, well beyond the draft age, like Vasyl Hrebeniuk, are not spared the military’s scrutiny.
The repercussions of this aggressive drafting ripple through the community’s fabric. Tetiana Lychak, a grieving widow and teacher, reflects on her son’s nascent military aspirations and considers whether she, too, should join the fight. Tales of those missing, like Maya Proskurivska’s son-in-law, shroud families in a grim mixture of hope and dread. Children like four-year-old Eleanora Voropanova simplify the complexity of war into a singular reality: “Mom is home,” she says. “Dad is at war.”
Amidst the thinning ranks of draft-eligible men, fear and resentment brew. Located near Makiv, in the quaint town of Kamyanets-Podilsky, an expanding memorial gallery in the heart of the city pays tribute to fallen heroes. Every portrait displayed depicts a brave local individual who made the ultimate sacrifice while defending Ukraine.
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
– Desperate to avoid the draft, CBC.ca, Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT
– ‘We Bury A Lot Of People Here’: How One Siberian Village Has Been Emptied By The Ukraine Invasion, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Sun, 23 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT