Ukraine struggles with troop shortages amid Western pressure

In 2022, many were ready to fight, but there was a lack of weapons. Now the situation has reversed. "There are weapons, but fewer willing to fight," said veteran and military analyst Evhen Dykyi in the Vechir.LIVE program. His statement was discussed on Tuesday by Ukrainian media, including the Unian agency.

"Partners are ready to supply us with equipment, but they may consider that we have too few people ready to fight," the Ukrainian veteran noted. "Moreover, they are partially aware of this. They're already asking: You keep asking for more weapons, but who will use them? Equipment deliveries are a matter for the West, and our responsibility is mobilization," he added.

Dykyi is a well-known Ukrainian military analyst, commentator, and veteran of the war with Russia. Referring to the gradual withdrawal of Ukrainian forces in the Donbas section, he said that the key issue for the entire front is ensuring reserves. "Mobilization, actions in the rear of the front are the essence of the crisis we have found ourselves in. Changing the generals commanding on the front will not change this," he added.

He also clearly referred to the recent decision of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who entrusted the command of a dramatically difficult defense section near Pokrovske to General Mykhailo Drapaty. The decision surprises experts because Gen. Drapaty is supposed to manage the battle and simultaneously remain the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces. This is the third decision to change the commander in the region within a year.

Martial law in Ukraine has been extended, and conscription is ongoing. It includes all men aged 25 to 60 and volunteers aged 18 to 25. There is growing controversy around the actions of Territorial Recruitment Center employees, who stop men in public places: bars, gyms, on the street. We reported that around 100 TRC employees and police officers appeared at a concert in Kyiv to pick out conscripts from the audience.

This pressure has changed the country. On the streets of cities, you practically don't see middle-aged men unless they're in uniforms. Civilians stay home, fearing arrest. "During my last trip, I was checked six times on the street. If I didn't have my passport, I would have been detained under the pretext of evading the army," says Borys Tynka, a Pole and tourist guide in Odesa.

People don't want to talk about the war. Any mention of it causes divisions and arguments. Particularly sharply, there is talk of the possible draft of boys aged 18-25. I haven't met anyone who would support it," Tynka adds. "However, I talked to several mothers who, just in case, sent their sons abroad. They wouldn't change that decision for anything."

Western countries are putting pressure on Ukraine, demanding the lowering of the mobilization age. National Security Advisor to President Trump, Mike Waltz, suggested that the lower age limit should be 18. According to him, such a decision could help stabilize the situation on the front because Ukraine faces serious personnel shortages.

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to these suggestions, emphasizing that mobilizing more people without providing better armaments would not have the desired effect. He considered it "unfair" on the part of the West to simultaneously limit the supply of long-range weapons and pressure Ukraine on mobilizing young people.

An appeal titled "Don’t Pressure Ukraine To Feed Its Youth Into the Mouth of Russia’s War Machine" was even published by the opposition English-language service The Moscow Times. "By urging Ukraine to conscript 18-year-olds, the West risks a tragic gamble: sacrificing a generation to buy time for Europe's awakening and NATO's hesitation. Demographers have also raised red flags. Ella Libanova, director of Ukraine’s Institute of Demography, warns that lowering the draft age would cause a demographic crisis in the future," the commentary stated.