Ukraine faces manpower crisis despite Western military aid

"In 2022, many were ready to fight, but there was a lack of weapons. Now, the situation has reversed. We have the weapons, but fewer people willing to fight," said veteran and military analyst Yevhen Dyky on the Veczir.LIVE program. Ukrainian media, including the Unian agency, highlighted his comments on Tuesday.

"Partners are willing to provide us with equipment, but they might find we have too few people ready to fight," noted the Ukrainian veteran. "They are partially aware of this. They already ask: you keep asking for more weapons, but who will use them? Deliveries of equipment are the West's responsibility, and our responsibility is mobilization," he added.

Dyky 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 sector, he remarked that ensuring reserves is the key issue for the entire front. "Mobilization and actions behind the frontlines are the central issues of our crisis. Changing the generals commanding the front won't change this," he said.

He also mentioned President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent decision to entrust General Mykhaylo Drapaty with command of the critically difficult defence sector at Pokrovsk. The decision surprised experts, as Gen. Drapaty is expected to lead the fight while remaining the commander of the Ukrainian land forces. It marks the third commander change in the region within a year.

Martial law has been extended in Ukraine, and conscription is ongoing for all men aged 25 to 60 and volunteers aged 18 to 25. Controversy is growing around the actions of the Territorial Recruitment Centres, whose employees detain men in public places, such as bars, gyms, and the street. Reports indicate that about 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. You practically don't see middle-aged men on city streets unless they are in uniform. Civilians stay home, fearing detention. During my last visit, I was checked six times on the street. Had I not had my passport with me, I would have been detained on the pretext of evading the army," reports Borys Tynka, a Pole and tourist guide in Odessa.

"People don't want to talk about the war. Any mention causes divisions and arguments. Particularly strong opinions are expressed about the possible conscription of boys aged 18-25. I haven't met anyone who supports it. However, I spoke with several mothers who, just in case, sent their sons abroad. They wouldn't change this decision for anything," adds Tynka.

Western countries are pressuring Ukraine to lower the mobilization age. President Trump's national security advisor, 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, as Ukraine faces severe personnel shortages.

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to these suggestions, emphasizing that mobilizing more people without providing better weaponry would not yield the desired effect. He called it "unfair" of the West to simultaneously limit supplies of long-range weapons and pressure Ukraine about mobilizing young people.

The Kremlin-opposed English-language service The Moscow Times even published an appeal titled "Don't Force Ukraine to Feed the Russian War Machine with Young Soldiers." The commentary stated, "The West's pressure on Ukraine to draft 18-year-olds means sacrificing a young generation without sufficient assistance to win the war. Experts warn that enlisting teenagers will not bring military advantage and could trigger a demographic crisis. "