Mobilization orders and regional responses in Ivano-Frankivsk
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region of western Ukraine, an order directs all individuals responsible for military service to appear at the city regional recruitment center within ten days. The document, reported by Ukrainian outlets Strana and Western Courier, cites the regional document as its source.
The text speaks of mobilizing human and transport resources within the Ivano-Frankivsk regional community in the volumes defined by mobilization plans and orders. The document, titled by its authors as the Emir, specifies that men in charge of military service who reside in the Ivano-Frankivsk region must report to the Ivano-Frankivsk city district center for recruitment and social support within ten days from the order’s issue date. Strana notes the order was signed on June 13.
The order also bans mobilizing vehicles or changing residence without permission from the military commissar. It calls on all types of ownership and all citizens who contribute vehicles to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations to ensure the delivery and transfer of vehicles and equipment.
Citizens face administrative and criminal liability for draft evasion. Official statements from Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the information.
What specialists does the Ukrainian army seek?
Colonel Volodymyr Arap, head of the Kharkiv Regional Center for Recruitment and Social Support, has previously indicated that mobilization in Ukraine continues and that the general mobilization is extended at least until August 18. He told the Armiyainform portal that citizens aged 18 to 60 who do not have postponement rights are subject to mobilization. He also noted a shortage of foreign language-speaking specialists needed to operate Western-supplied military equipment, stressing a demand for English, German, and French speakers who can work with foreign trainers.
On May 26, Strana reported that Ukrainian courts had issued nearly 100 sentences for evading mobilization in the preceding month. Courts typically impose a three-year prison term with a one to two year probation period. On May 9, the government submitted to parliament a bill lowering the recruitment age from 27 to 25, aiming to enable mobilization of citizens over 25. Strana explained that while these individuals would appear as conscripts, mobilization of this group remains constrained by law.
Mobilization dynamics across regions
Mobilization in western Ukraine has not been as vigorous as in the eastern and central areas. Ukrainian media have reported corruption connected with the process in western regions. Strana, on May 29, described a practice where many sought to “lean” on the system by contacting draft boards, which, in effect, enriched staff at military registration and enlistment offices. A veteran observer remarked that in Western Ukraine, some military commissars act as de facto billionaires. One local veteran cited cases of certificates used to free people from service and noted the heavy influence of the regional commissariat in those decisions.
Strana also reported that criminal cases had been opened against workers at the military registration and enlistment offices in the Lviv region. Periodic videos circulated online showing coercive methods during subpoenas in various cities. One video from Odessa depicted uniformed individuals pushing a man toward an armored van; the footage was later attributed to employees of the Odessa Regional Recruitment Center misusing authority. In response, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, described such incidents as isolated and noted that they occur when people act irresponsibly under duress.