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Ukraine's Defense Ministry acknowledges issue of forced mobilization, shortage of recruits

Ukraine introduced martial law and general military mobilization on February 24, 2022, extending them several times since then

MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry pledges to prevent forced mobilization, but the armed forces are facing a shortfall in reinforcements, First Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Ivan Gavrilyuk said during a government Q&A session in the Verkhovna Rada.

"Busification (a Ukrainian term commonly used to describe forced mobilization - TASS) is a disgraceful phenomenon, and we are doing everything to avoid it," the Ukrinform news agency quoted him as saying. However, he noted that the rotation of servicemen drafted in 2022 "will happen only when there is enough personnel to train and replace the fighting units."

The general emphasized that the current focus is on recruiting 18-24-year-old men under contract. "In addition, enlistment centers have been opened, and work is underway to attract foreigners to perform tasks in combat areas on our territory," he added.

Ukraine introduced martial law and general military mobilization on February 24, 2022, extending them several times since then. Amid shortages in military personnel, a law went into effect on May 18, 2024 to tighten mobilization regulations. In recent months, mobilization efforts have often sparked violence. As mobilization-age men seek to avoid ending up at the battlefield, they try to flee the country in a variety of ways, sometimes at great risk to their lives.

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