Russia aims to draft 133,000 during new round of fall conscription
Men aged from 18 to 30 will be drafted as part of the regularly occurring fall conscription campaign, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 30.
Mobilization
Ukraine passed mobilization law a year too late, Polish FM Sikorski says
Sikorski said that the law should have been passed when there were "many volunteers" to serve in the army, and "people felt personally threatened."
Ukrainian military to launch new project in coming months to improve basic training, Syrskyi says
Ukraine is working to improve the quality of training for its military, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced on Sept. 15, and will roll out a new project in October-November.
Putin delays new mobilization, despite Kursk incursion exposing troop shortages
Amid speculation that the Kremlin is considering a new mobilization of conscripts, some potential draftees say they are not enthusiastic about defending Russian territory just over a month after the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast. "I won't go (to the front). I swore an oath to the Constitution, not to
Authorities have uncovered nearly 600 criminal networks aiding draft evaders, Border Guards report
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, law enforcement agencies have uncovered over 570 criminal networks that help individuals evade military service by aiding them in fleeing abroad, State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said during a telecast on Sept. 2.
Petition urging Zelensky to lower mobilization age limit to 50 reaches 25,000 signatures
A petition asking President Volodymyr Zelensky to lower the upper age limit for mobilization from 60 to 50 to "improve the economic situation" in Ukraine has garnered over 25,000 signatures since it was posted on July 5.
Unknown assailant shoots at enlistment office in Lutsk, wounding soldier
Soldiers on guard duty outside an enlistment office in Lutsk were shot at by an unknown person during the night, leaving one soldier injured, Ukraine's Western Operational Command reported on Aug. 27.
The Counteroffensive: Online weddings and missile tracking – how Ukraine's digital innovations thrive amid war
Editor’s Note: This article was published by the twice-weekly newsletter “The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak” on Aug. 20, 2024, and has been re-published by the Kyiv Independent with permission. To subscribe to "The Counteroffensive," click here. Imagine getting married anywhere in the world – not in a registry office or
Nearly 1 million people temporarily exempted from military service, Defense Ministry says
About 930,000 Ukrainians liable for military service are temporarily exempted from military service, while their number may reach one million in a week, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk said.
Top Kyiv Oblast enlistment officials detained over suspected draft evasion scheme
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained the heads of the Bucha and Boryspil military enlistment offices over a suspected corruption scheme that allowed men to evade the draft, the SBU and the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Aug. 16.
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine controls 74 settlements in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Zelensky says
"Despite the difficult, intense battles, the advance of our forces in Kursk Oblast continues," President Zelensky said.
Ukrainian companies desperately need workers. There just aren't enough
Supermarket shelves go unstocked. Metro trains run less often. Large companies are freezing whole divisions. Factory employees take on overtime shifts to meet production. Projects to alleviate Ukraine’s energy crisis have been delayed. Across nearly every sector, Ukraine’s economy is feeling the same labor crunch that is squeezing
Poland and Ukraine to form a military unit from Ukrainians in Europe. Will it be effective?
Kyiv and Warsaw have agreed to form and jointly train a new army brigade on Polish soil, betting the initiative could help recruit some of the scores of Ukrainian men living in Poland and other EU countries. The so-called Ukrainian Legion, a fresh initiative to boost Ukraine’s military manpower
Russia exaggerating numbers of contract soldiers, investigation claims
The Russian Defense Ministry announced in December that there were 640,000 soldiers serving under contract.
Putin more than doubles lump-sum payment for joining war against Ukraine
The presidential decree published on the government website effectively doubled the lump-sum payment of 195,000 ($2,260) rubles initially promised to recruits in September 2022.
Demobilization could repeat Ukraine's 'mistake' in 1918, parliament speaker says
Adopting demobilization law now could repeat the "mistake" of the Ukrainian People's Republic during its war against the Bolsheviks in 1918, said Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine's parliament, on national television on July 25.
Ukraine’s mobilization effort gets boost as millions update draft data
By early 2024, 40-year-old Pavlo Kovtoniuk had begun to understand that Russia’s two-year-long full-scale war against his country would require him to serve in the army sooner or later. But it wasn’t until two months ago that he updated his personal information with enlistment authorities – after the government
Former TV journalist arrested after calling for armed resistance to mobilization
The "former host of popular Ukrainian television programs" along with seven other people, allegedly conducted "informational and subversive activities for the benefit of the aggressor country," the Security Service said.
Ukraine and Moldova in talks about returning draft dodgers
Kyiv and Chisinau are discussing the possibility of returning Ukrainian draft dodgers staying in Moldova, some of whom have been granted asylum in the country, Ukraine’s ambassador Marko Shevchenko said on July 23.
Killed, injured among 3,800 convicts serving in Ukraine's military, lawmaker says
"(Around) 3,800 prisoners are already in the Armed Forces. Most of them have recently completed their training," the secretary of the parliamentary national security committee, Roman Kostenko, told Ukrainska Pravda.
Eye of the storm: A day in the life of Ukrainian infantry on the zero line near Toretsk
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. DONETSK OBLAST – There was already little resembling a road in front of the driver by the time the old pickup truck’s headlights were
Nearly 10% of partially eligible conscripts declared unfit for military service after re-examination, General Staff says
Less than 10% of partially eligible conscripts were assessed as unfit for military service after medical re-examination, Roman Horbach, head of the General Staff's personnel department, said on July 19 during a press conference.
Volunteer recruitment up 3.5 times over past 2 months, military says
Recruitment for voluntary service in the Ukrainian army has increased by 3.5 times over the past two months compared to the period from late 2022 to spring 2024, Roman Horbach, head of Ukraine's General Staff's personnel department, said on July 19.
Ukraine war latest: Kyiv brings back 95 POWs from Russian captivity
Key developments on July 17: * 95 Ukrainian POWs released from Russian captivity * Fighting in Krynky ongoing, but Ukrainian positions 'completely destroyed' * Citing security concerns, Russian authorities restrict entry to border areas of Belgorod Oblast * Germany to halve Ukraine military aid, Reuters reports * Ukraine lists 42,000 citizens as missing persons
Ukraine reveals final number of men who updated mobilization data
From May 18 to July 16, 4,690,496 military-aged men updated their registration data by the July 17 deadline, the country's Defense Ministry has announced.
Ukrainian conscripts who fail to update military data on time may be fined, put on wanted list
Ukrainians liable for military service who fail to update their data by July 17 may be fined up to Hr 25,000 (nearly $600) or put on the wanted list. The deadline for updating data expires on July 17, 2024.
Mobilization is going 'according to plan,' but there are not enough training facilities, Zelensky says
"Considering training facilities, there are not enough of them. They are already being expanded," President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference in Kyiv.
Media: More than 10,000 Russian soldiers prosecuted for refusing to fight in Ukraine
Using online data from military courts, Mediazona documented 10,025 such cases since September 2022 when the Kremlin announced a first wave of mobilization.
Over 2,750 Ukrainian convicts released to join army, WP reports
Since Ukraine's new conscription law took effect, over 2,750 prisoners have been released from detention to join the Ukrainian military, the Washington Post reported on June 16.
Inside Ukraine’s prison recruitment efforts to bolster front-line troops
ZHYTOMYR, KYIV OBLASTS — Taras Netavrovanyi, an inmate at the medium-security prison in Zhytomyr Oblast, eagerly seized the chance to break free of his two-and-a-half-year sentence. New Ukrainian legislation allowing military service for prisoners convicted of certain felonies, including manslaughter, offers a unique opportunity: parole in exchange for joining an assault
Ukrainian men abroad can now register for military service at foreign consulates
Ukrainian conscripts and reservists living abroad for more than three months can now register for military service at foreign consulates, Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced on June 7.
Defense Ministry: 1.6 million draft-aged men update military registration data
About 1.6 million Ukrainians have updated their information in line with new mobilization norms effective May 18, with over 1.4 million using the "Reserve+" application, Deputy Minister of Defense Kateryna Chernohorenko reported on June 5.
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