Unyielding Call to Arms: Ukraine's Creative Recruitment Strategies in the Face of War
A faint sound of a radio hums before the solemn voice of a paramedic echoes through the listening ear, "Three wounded, we'll be there momentarily." The surgeon, Vitali, a 28-year-old man hailing from western Ukraine, sighs wearily and immediately dons sterile gloves. The diminutive makeshift clinic bristles with life-saving essentials, such as boxes of bandages, disinfectant, and infusion bags, stowed away haphazardly on the shelves. As the clock strikes three o'clock in the wee hours, Vitali can't fathom the day's upcoming struggle. "Seven days a week we operate around the clock," he shares, his eyes locked on the awaiting patients.
Photographer Stanislav Krupar was granted the rare opportunity to witness the unerring heroism of Vitali and his fellow doctors for several days since their self-less journey to this village—located around 30 kilometers from the front line—commenced. Shielded from the merciless Russian mortars and Grad rocket launchers, the doctors at this stabilization point pursue the unending fight to ensure the injured soldier's survival.
Among the handful of physicians on standby, three joined the battleground as soon as the conflict ignited. These dedicated individuals have served as medics on the frontlines during the Battle of Bachmut this year. "All we can do here is quicken the bleeding, and treat the wounds in a makeshift manner, so the men can survive the journey to the hospital in Pokrovsk, fifty minutes away," the frustrated surgeon laments, wrestling with his inability to administer specialized treatment due to the scarcity of equipment.
This day, like many others, the surgeon can only stabilize the soldier in the most rudimentary of manners. The injured man suffered a graze to his side, with shrapnel tearing a gaping hole in his abdominal wall, threatening the survival of the uninjured organs. In a desperate effort to alleviate the bleeding, the paramedics cut away the man's uniform, and together they apply a hastily cobbled-together bandage before carrying him off to the hospital.
The country bleeds from within
For over a month, the vicious Russians have relentlessly assaulted the Ukrainian positions in Avdiivka, transforming the town north of Donetsk into the latest flashpoint of the war. Due to the jaw-dropping toll of lives and resources, Kremlin commanders drive their people to a potentially suicidal resolution every day. However, the Ukrainian fighter-spirit savors its last breath. With artillery, kamikaze drones, and aircraft assaulting them, the Ukrainian defenders must pay a high price in blood. This dogged determination to fight on—despite the mortars and shrapnel—has offered unrelenting resistance to the essentially superior Russian forces.
Since the conflict began, an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 Ukrainian soldiers have perished in the line of duty, and over 120,000 have returned home bearing their battle scars. The haunting specter of this relentless bloodshed has gnawed at the very essence of Ukraine's collective identity, as the spirit of heroic patriotism has steadily diminished in the face of the grinding reality of the war.
Though there were countless volunteers eager to defend their homeland at its outset, this heroism has slowly withered away. Now, there are fewer and fewer men and women willing to risk their lives with firearms. The once-booming tide of recruits has slowed to a trickle in the summer months, as military commissariats—charged with drawing fresh blood into their merciless embrace—reacted in the same timeworn manner as their Soviet predecessors. Their officers would round up reluctant conscripts, either by force or under the guise of benevolence, and toss them unceremoniously into the fray.
These draconian tactics incurred the wrath of the populace, magnifying the image of the military commission as a symbol of rule by fear and intimidation. As video after video circulated online, the ire of the people only mounted, pushing them to demand a new approach.
These unpalatable episodes have forced the removals of top commanders at the regional head of military commissariat posts. While the newly installed officials represent a fresh slate, they lack the invaluable experience that characterized their predecessors. The ensuing shortage of manpower and training to meet the necessities of the ever-escalating fight is a point of growing concern, as the country faces the formidable tasks of training new recruits and reinforcing their existing units.
In response to these challenges, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Digitization collaborate to renovate the antiquated draft system. This joint effort encompasses the creation of a digital directory, filled with the cellphone numbers of potential draftees and recruits. With the final legislative approval expected by Christmas, this initiative marks a pivotal turning point in how the Ukrainian military conducts its conscription efforts.
Called to arms
Faced with catastrophic personnel losses and the seemingly unstoppable tide of Russian aggression, the Ukrainian military is demanding stronger enlistment numbers. The country is in desperate need of reinforcements to maintain its combat readiness and to keep the soldiers who have fought tirelessly for 21 grueling months alive. In an attempt to alleviate this gruesome morass of casualties, the supportive families of soldiers assemble to protest their sons' and daughters' forced participation in the conflict.
However, their impassioned protests are met with the cold reality of a war that refuses to mow down even a moment's respite. "Our men are not slaves," cried Svitlana, the wife of a captain serving on the Eastern front. "According to the law, they have the right to be demobilized after 18 months of fighting." She wrung her hands in frustration, her desperate plea echoing those of her fellow wives and mothers.
The politicians have taken heed of these calls for an end to the seemingly never-ending death spiral. In an effort to appease the discontented masses, the Ukrainian forces are undertaking bold actions to address the paucity of manpower and reinvigorate their enlistment drive.
Welcome to Ukraine's brave new world of digital warrior recruitment
Shortly after a wave of public outcry over conscription practices, the Ministry of Defense partnered with two private companies—seeking their specialized expertise to address their personnel requirements. This partnership marks the beginning of a new era in Ukrainian military recruitment, as the government embraces the strategic potential of profiting from well-connected companies to fill its units and divisions.
Such a shift towards "smart mobilization" seeks to draw in individuals unwilling to risk their lives and their families in the combat-heavy trenches. Recognizing that the army requires far more than grunt soldiers, specialists in a plethora of areas such as accountants, mechanics, chefs, drivers, and doctors are sought after to bolster the ranks of the Ukrainian forces. This diverse set of skillsets is vital to ensuring that the artillery soldiers have the necessary backup, sustenance, and hygiene resources, empowering them to sustain the never-ending conflict.
A single recruit can play many roles in the Ukrainian forces, from serving as an accountant to leading a medical unit—providing a life-saving influx of additional manpower and expertise.
This novel method of recruiting provides several advantages over the traditional conscription process. A recruit is given the liberty to choose either the unit they wish to serve in or the location from which they wish to operate. By doing so, the recruit can evaluate the commander's performance, the unit's history, and the bonds maintained within the ranks, thereby ensuring security in the choice they make.
On the other hand, those who are drafted are denied such freedoms, thrust unceremoniously into the unknown without the solace of prior knowledge of their assignment. The uncertainty and fear that resonate with the drafted recruit serve as powerful deterrents against volunteering for service.
Financial incentives and increased trust
Under the Russian assault, the Ukrainian forces recognize that the once-roaring furnaces of life and hope that sustained them now require reinforcement. As a result, the supreme military commander, Valery Salushnyi, has conceded that the challenge of recruiting and training new soldiers has grown daunting. Given the resource-intensive and labor-intensive nature of army training, the need to quickly and efficiently assemble reinforcements becomes evermore essential.
To meet this challenge, the Ukrainian government has launched initiatives to financially incentivize soldiers and their families, as well as to address a trust gap between the military and the populace. This strategy encompasses revising soldiers' salaries and the introduction of tax inducements to rekindle the Ukrainian spirit of volunteerism.
To maintain motivation and commitment, soldiers who take part in combat operations are granted salaries of up to 3,000 euros, contingent on rank and specialization, according to government sources. Additionally, soldiers who are residing in Kiev receive a 800-euro bonus, as the city attempts to alleviate the burden of military service upon their local population.
The economic rewards are not all that entice young men and women to don the uniform. A deep sense of loyalty, national pride, and commitment to their homes and loved ones have been the bedrock of the Ukrainian spirit and now serve as a beacon to enlist in the country's armed forces.
But Ukraine needs physicians—badly
The blood-soaked battlefields of Eastern Ukraine serve as a sobering reminder of the stark challenges that confront the country. Without the vital and timely interventions of skillful medical personnel, the attrition that has claimed nearly 100,000 Ukrainian lives since the start of the conflict would have spiraled further out of control.
As the surgeon, Vitali, contends, they "can't leave"—for over a month, the frontline has engulfed the lives of the Ukrainian medical team, consuming their time and energy in its relentless pursuit of healing the wounded. Some of the earliest days of battle saw Ukraine holding the technological advantage when it came to compared to their Russian adversaries in the realm of drone technology. This advantage has now eroded, and the enemy relies heavily on unmanned aerial vehicles to target and locate Ukrainian frontlines.
The enemy's relentless bombardment of Ukrainian positions with drones and mortars gnaws scarily at the already overextended medical frontlines, ensuring a never-ending supply of wounded and dying soldiers. "They're always in the air," grouses a Ukrainian defender, "most of our wounded are victims of drone attacks."
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Ukraine's recruitment strategy has undergone several innovations in response to the challenges posed by the ongoing mobilization system. These tactics ease the burden of mobilization for potential recruits while also ensuring the Ukrainian forces better cater to their manpower requirements.
- Decentralized recruitment model: Ukraine has empowered top-performing units to handle their own recruitment processes, promoting a more personalized approach to the enlistment drive. This has enabled units to design tailored recruitment strategies to meet their specific needs.
- Voluntary contracts: The Ukrainian government has launched initiatives that offer financial incentives, training guarantees, and transparency to potential recruits. This approach aims to attract 18- to 25-year-olds who are currently exempt from mobilization and Ukrainians who have the right to deferment or were discharged after the mobilization law.
- Direct recruitment options: Other recruitment strategies encompass a 94-questionnaire and phone interviews used for vetting potential soldiers. Units like the 414th Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Strike Regiment now boast over 3,000 recruits through its self-driving recruitment drives, which enable units to handpick motivated recruits.
- Regional military recruitment reforms: Ukraine's Ministry of Defense is working with combat brigades to encourage Ukrainians to join the military. Units have begun adopting one-year contracts with salaries of around 3,000 euros, as well as bonuses to combat high desertion rates and manpower shortages.
- Public relations campaigns: The Ukrainian military has begun implementing public relations campaigns to cultivate a more positive image of military service. Units like the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade have leveraged social media to attract potential recruits, as well as engage in fundraising initiatives to secure equipment for the troops.
- Addressing corruption: In the face of rampant corruption within the military recruitment system, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has moved to dismiss all heads of regional military recruitment centers. This move seeks to ensure that the enlistment process is run by individuals who understand the implications of war and are not motivated by cynicism or bribes.
