"My life is the most precious", say some of the Ukrainians who fled to abroad. For many in Ukraine, however, those who flee are not real men. The fact is that the Ukrainian army is experiencing an acute shortage of personnel.
An angry crowd has gathered outside a Ukrainian passport office in Warsaw. The reason for their anger: Ukrainians abroad can no longer apply for a passport because consular services were limited, the German public-law television ARD wrote in a publication on the subject.
Pressure on Ukrainian men of legal age is growing - even if they are not in their homeland. This is also the goal of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who emphasizes that staying abroad does not exempt one from one's obligations to one's homeland.
Ukrainian publisher Maxim, with whom ARD journalists spoke in Warsaw, however, does not show any understanding: "This is a fight against people who run away from the army. But they don't ask us why we went abroad. I'm here legally. The law on mobilization has not yet entered into force, but it is already being applied here," he complains.
The Ukrainian army is looking for new fighters
After months of discussions, in April 2024 the Ukrainian parliament adopted a new law on mobilization. The aim is to attract more men to the service, since few in Ukraine already volunteer for the army.
It's even the opposite. Many men are hiding or leaving the country, ARD said. According to the Austrian newspaper "Express", currently around 650,000 Ukrainians of legal age reside on the territory of the EU.
I.e. the Ukrainian army lacks not only weapons, but also personnel, soldier Igor Firsov told the Ukrainian media. "Things should be called by their true names. The personnel situation is difficult, the military units are short of fighters. It's really not a secret, but the main problem is not the equipment or the ammunition - it's the personnel. After all, the equipment must be serviced by people", says Firsov, quoted by ARD.
Men should update their registration details
Conscripting into the military is seen by many as ineffective - as authorities often lack relevant data. Many people no longer live at their registered addresses. Now the new law obliges them to update their registration details.
This should also apply abroad, Roman Kostenko from the opposition party "Golos" told ARD. "Conscripts abroad must also update their details. And the state must do everything for the return of these people. There should not be two categories - those who are fighting and others who are of conscription age, but are looking for means and ways to stay abroad," says Kostenko.
A call for "justice"
Kostenko was at the front, has good contacts in the army and knows the problems of soldiers. For many of them, right now it's mostly about justice. Many soldiers have been fighting for almost two years without a break. And there are no chances of leaving the army - including due to the shortage of personnel, notes the German public-law media.
In front of ARD, MP Kostenko shared his opinion that the step taken by the Foreign Ministry also has a very practical side: "At least we will find out how many people we can have in mind. If we didn't know how many staff we had available, we couldn't plan. And whether we attack, defend or negotiate - it all depends on planning."
Force is increasingly used and anger grows
Since registration data is often out of date, mobilization authorities often resort to brutal methods. Videos are circulating on the Internet showing uniformed men forcibly detaining conscripts - at bus stops, on the way to work or in a fitness studio, reports ARD.
Employees in Kiev, shown in a report by Slidsto Info journalists, take a more relaxed approach. They go from door to door - but very rarely do they find men in the dwellings. They are usually opened by women who do not give any information about the whereabouts of their husbands or sons. The fear of the front is too great.
And men who are looking for new recruits for the army are often insulted. They themselves were at the front, where they were wounded, and now they are constantly asked why they do not fight, but look for other men. "We hear a lot of offensive things from people who don't know us," one of them told ARD.
"Now is the time to fight for the motherland"
Many people in Ukraine think that anyone who runs away from military service is not a real man. Among them is Lilya from Bucha, who recently joined the army. Her boyfriend was seriously injured in the war, her brother was killed. "I'm back. When the war started I was abroad. And I could stay and build my life there. I had an apartment and a good job. But I left everything and returned to Ukraine. Now it needs us, now we have to fight for our homeland, not just get away," the young woman told ARD.
Lilya says that she cannot say exactly how many friends and acquaintances she lost in the war - she has already stopped counting. She donates almost all her money to the army and shows no sympathy for those who have left the country. "Don't come back. I firmly believe in victory - I can't imagine anything else. We do not need those who will return only after victory. If they don't believe in the country now, we don't need them."
But things are not that simple. Economically, after the war, Ukraine will need the refugees, many say. Therefore, experts define the step of the foreign ministry as populism, which will not change anything regarding the real problems.
This is also the opinion of opposition MP Ivana Klimpus-Zinzadze, quoted by ARD. "The law does not give us the opportunity to recruit our citizens into the army. This step, which is also illegal, will have harmful repercussions. Many Ukrainians will seek legal and illegal ways to obtain a residence permit or citizenship in other countries. It is not in our interest to further exacerbate the demographic crisis that already exists."
Human rights activists warn of division
Many of the Ukrainians abroad are less and less willing to return to their homeland. And human rights activists say that the Ukrainian leadership will only increase the division in society. And it will repel people abroad who basically identify with Ukraine.
One of them is Dima, who meanwhile lives in Germany. He could be mobilized in Ukraine, where he would not want to return because "there is nothing more valuable than life," as he told ARD. "Houses, homes, cars, businesses - all these can be abandoned in order not to die. We have made our choice. Whether this is right or not is debatable, but one's own life is more valuable than anything else. You can get everything back except your life."
After two years of war, the fighters at the front are exhausted and in need of unloading. But almost no one wants to fight a dead-end positional war without enough ammunition. Ukrainian society is facing a painful debate, concludes ARD.
"We will not forcibly return them from abroad"
Ukraine will not forcibly return its citizens who are subject to military service from abroad, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna said in an interview with Deutsche Welle. On April 30, she commented on the issue of the termination of consular services in Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad before a DV team.
"There will be no restrictions and no forced return of Ukrainian citizens of any gender or age to a country at war,", Stefanyshina said. However, she added that "there are no pleasant solutions to the issues of war" and urged not to forget that "the war continues and we must win it".
According to Stefanyshyn, providing personal data to Territorial Manpower Centers (TMCs), which Ukrainian men are required to do under the new mobilization law, does not automatically lead to them being sent to the front. The question is to understand what the "mobilization potential" is.