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Kiev will conscript 160,000 more troops over the next three months, according to statements from lawmakers and media outlets. More than a million soldiers have already been drafted, yet high losses have left the Ukrainian Armed Forces plagued by manpower shortages.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces had around 250,000 active-duty personnel at the beginning of 2022, a number that rapidly swelled once Vladimir Zelensky called up reservists and forbade draft-age men from leaving the country.

This spring, faced with mounting losses, Kiev lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and significantly tightened mobilization rules, requiring potential recruits to report to conscription offices for "data validation." These checks often result in people being immediately taken into the army and sent to the front line.

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[-] FelixCress@lemmy.world 17 points 14 hours ago

They don't have a choice. It is this or being Russian slaves.

[-] bobr@lemmy.libertarianfellowship.org 7 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

They don't have a choice. It is this or being Russian slaves.

Hey, thank you for your insightful comment!

Could you please expand on that and tell me more about people in Crimea and other liberated cities being Russian slaves?

Also while you are at it - could you please also explain to me how being unable to leave your country where you can be kidnapped on a street at any day and sent to die is not considered slavery / is better than "being Russian slave"? How did that happen that "Russian slaves" can move to Ukraine controlled territories at any time and supposedly stop being slaves, but those who are on Ukraine controlled territories cannot do the opposite (and yet for some reason you wouldn't consider them slaves)?

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml 9 points 15 hours ago
[-] fox2263@lemmy.world 12 points 19 hours ago

lol forced.

The wording of these things. While technically correct, it’s a draft. Because you know, the thousand day invasion threatening their existence.

[-] SoJB@lemmy.ml 23 points 19 hours ago

That’s literally what forced means. Are you an Israeli or something?

[-] fox2263@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago

It’s the negative connotation of the wording that I was implying, not the meaning.

Are you American or something?

[-] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 12 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

He is implying Ukrainians are not drafted Israel style. There is no 30 day prison vacation for refusing to obey. These people are thrown in the back of a van and transported to the battlefield to slightly extend what is already a lost war.

The west is not serious about supporting Ukraine to victory. That much should be obvious by now. Even the mainstream newspapers are saying Ukraine is not fighting to win now.

[-] fox2263@lemmy.world 3 points 16 hours ago

I’m not Israeli though. What is Israeli style. Israel is not being invaded.

Without sending troops, there isn’t much else the west can do beyond allowing deep strikes with their missiles which I agree should never have been an issue.

Again though, conscription via a draft while forced yes, is not the inference of the wording of the article. It’s trying to paint Ukraine in a bad light for having to do it vs Russia who have done worse for their manpower goals.

[-] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 10 points 14 hours ago

The argument is not "Russia good". Russia bad too.

The point is: any Ukrainian who is not ideologically driven to fight against Russia should not be forced to do so. Their deaths will not achieve anything meaningful.

This is a war of attrition. Ukraine has not received the military support required to win.

[-] fox2263@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago

Hmm Ukraine can’t receive men so they have to use their own men. I don’t understand the argument

[-] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 6 points 13 hours ago

Ukraine can receive men. There are multiple volunteers from other countries fighting for Ukraine.

You too are allowed to go and fight for Ukraine. Are you willing to risk your own life, or admit that Ukrainian men are treated as disposable toys instead of humans?

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 4 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

Argument: War is almost lost. People are finite.

[-] fox2263@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

Far from lost.

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml 7 points 15 hours ago

go sign up for the foreign legion turd

[-] CMonster@discuss.online 2 points 13 hours ago

Conscription is usually an ongoing event. A draft is a specific, often temporary, implementation of conscription.

[-] bobr@lemmy.libertarianfellowship.org 10 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Because you know, the thousand day invasion threatening their existence.

Whose existence?
Seriously, what kind of mental gymnastics one needs to do to consider this a valid argument..
Show me, how is the existence of people on liberated territories (like Crimea, Melitopol and so on) are threatened?
Or maybe those people are actually okay (well, at least relatively to those of us who are still stuck on Zelensky controlled territories...) and it's the lives of those whom Zelensky can still reach are threatened, because his regime can kidnap them at any moment and send to the meatgrinder?

[-] fox2263@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago
[-] PortoPeople@lemm.ee 13 points 22 hours ago

Forced? Their fighting for their survival for fuck's sake.

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 6 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

They are forced. They fight against the Ukrainian Army for their survival, because being drafted means they will probably die at this point. If they could keep avoiding the army, they would probably survive until this madness ends.

You can have your side on this and think Ukraine is fighting for survival, but that's a point of view, an idea. Some facts are:

  1. Ukraine is currently loosing this war. It's even territorial.
  2. Ukraine is loosing support from their allies. And if Trump wins, which is somehow plausible, they'd be practically alone.
  3. Recently drafted citizens are just that, they are not soldiers. With their morale, they probably aren't even fighters.
  4. A good chunk of the remaining Ukrainian people don't want to fight no more.
  5. Drafting more inexperienced citizens will at best slow down the course of the current events.
[-] matcha_addict@lemy.lol 20 points 20 hours ago

Are you contesting that it's "Forced"? It matches the textbook definition of the word

[-] Aradina@lemmy.ml 10 points 20 hours ago

Yeah the conscription can be pretty violent

The only "fight for survival" is against Zelensky.

[-] xpinchx@lemmy.world 14 points 23 hours ago
[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml 5 points 15 hours ago

I wonder how we got here.

this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2024
110 points (100.0% liked)

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