The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has urged citizens of conscription age to update their information at military recruitment offices and to "overcome their fear" as a recruitment campaign began on Thursday amid the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive that has lasted for three months. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar stated that the campaign, which relies on well-produced videos and images of notable soldiers with testimonials describing how they overcame their fear, aims to address a significant barrier to mobilization. She added, "We are all human, and we have all overcome this fear for victory." Maliar emphasized that citizens of conscription age need to update their personal information at recruitment offices.
In her remarks about the campaign, Maliar made it clear that not everyone who updates their information will be automatically drafted into the military and that not all conscripts will end up being sent to combat zones. The campaign comes at a time when Ukraine likely faces significant challenges regarding recruitment as it endures a harsh attrition phase in its war with Russia, which began nearly 18 months ago. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a general mobilization following the Russian invasion in February 2022, and reserve soldiers aged 18 to 60 have been subject to conscription.
One of the campaign's slogans is "Courage Overcomes Fear." The campaign features a Ukrainian soldier who fought in Bakhmut saying, "Everyone has fear in war. So do I." Maliar pledged to eliminate corruption in the recruitment process. She stated in comments shared by an official military platform, "Trust between citizens and (recruitment centers) is important... Currently, we are taking a step towards establishing this trust." The military has been plagued by scandals related to corruption and clumsy recruitment mechanisms.
Zelensky signed a decree on Thursday reaffirming a decision made last week to dismiss all heads of recruitment offices in the regions after a nationwide investigation uncovered dozens of cases related to corruption and violations. He stated, "This system must be managed by people who know exactly the meaning of war and why extortion and bribery during war is a grave betrayal." These steps come as Ukraine attempts to make progress in its counteroffensive to reclaim occupied territories, which is being hampered by landmines and Russian defenses in the southeastern part of the country.
