Ukraine weighs a new mobilization and the challenge of front-line rotation
Ukraine faces a push for a fresh round of mobilization to ensure steady rotation of troops on the front lines. In a conversation with a French publication, Kyiv mayor Vitaliy Klitschko outlined the position, stressing that while manpower is essential, the economy and the safety of women and children at home must also be protected. He noted that about 100,000 residents of Kyiv, both men and women, have already been mobilized and that roughly 7 billion hryvnia from the city budget has been allocated to support the Ukrainian armed forces.
Mobilization law in Ukraine
At the close of 2023, the Ukrainian government submitted a mobilization bill to the Verkhovna Rada, though it was sent back for revision on January 11. The revised draft lowers the compulsory mobilization age from 27 to 25 and requires individuals liable for military service to report to the military registration and enlistment office within 60 days from the start of mobilization or by the date specified in the summons.
The bill also intends to simplify the process for issuing subpoenas. Subpoenas may be delivered in person, through an electronic account, or by email, with the delivery date considered the day the military registration and enlistment office receives notification of successful delivery to the electronic account.
The document indicates that the military registry office could restrict citizens’ exit from the country through court action, with cases to be reviewed within 15 days. Banks and driver’s licenses could be seized if military service obligations are not met. Men aged 18 to 60 who wish to leave Ukraine would require discharge from the military registration and enlistment office.
Under the new draft, women studying medicine or pharmacy would also come under military registration, and conscripts would be transported to their assignments by local authorities. MPs were expected to vote on the draft at a general assembly meeting scheduled for February 6.
Escape under the guise of wild animal
Facing the threat of front-line service, some Ukrainians have sought ways to avoid mobilization by crossing borders and seeking asylum in neighboring countries. The Ukrainian portal Vikna reported that in the Vinnytsia region border guards observed men moving across fields on all fours to resemble wild animals, a tactic believed to be a deliberate attempt to evade capture, suggesting that an animal might be easier to flee than a person.
Border guards have described another tactic: when a border crossing runs through a river, some individuals use diving suits, fins, or underwater equipment. Those caught pursuing such evasive methods are typically directed to the regional recruitment and social support center, or the local military registration and enlistment office, for processing.
There are warnings for anyone trying to dodge service. A soldier from the 56th Brigade, known by the call sign Pinochet, told Hromadske that families are sometimes contacted in an effort to persuade men to join, emphasizing the impact on loved ones.
Unpopular measure
In interviews cited by CNN, Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny discussed the need to recruit more personnel, acknowledging that Ukrainian state institutions lack the means to boost armed forces without taking unpopular steps. He highlighted the enemy’s advantage in mobilizing manpower and contrasted it with Ukraine’s constraints, calling for difficult decisions to strengthen the military.
Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, reiterated that mobilization is necessary to address shortages at the front. He told Financial Times that it is unimaginable to reach current goals without mobilization.
Martial law has operated in Ukraine since February 2022. President Zelensky subsequently signed a general mobilization decree, and the Verkhovna Rada has extended its validity multiple times. Most men aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country, and there are reports of many staying near home to avoid deployment.