Ukraine has recently dropped the conscription age from 27 to 25, increased fines for draft dodgers to half the average monthly wage and ordered embassies to stop renewing passports for Ukrainian men living abroad. All of this is part of an effort to get them to return home — and bolster the military’s ranks as the war enters its third summer.
New laws require Ukrainian men between 18 and 60 to update their draft data with military conscription centres inside the country — including Dmytro, who has been living in Canada for 18 months.
As a result, emotions are running high among those who fled the war and those on the front lines who feel abandoned.
There’s this thing called the “tooth to tail ratio”. For every combat soldier serving on the front, there are several behind the lines in support and logistical roles. Somebody has to guard the bases, train the troops, drive the trucks, maintain/repair the vehicles, cook the food, organize the munitions, crunch the data, provide cyber capabilities, etc etc. Very many jobs that need doing.
These soldiers are in a much safer role, but are still doing important work that needs to be done, and serving honorably. A volunteer with specific skills and/or personality is more likely to wind up in one of these safer jobs, as this makes the whole military function more smoothly when people are well-suited to their assigned roles.
Serving does not have to be very dangerous though. It does not need to be extremely frightening. Will always be at least a little dangerous, but so is getting in your car.
What you say is true, but the fundamental issue is Ukraine is in an active war with estimates of 31-70k killed and 120k injured (source)
As with all wars the front line is where the soldiers are needed most … so while support positions are vital, so are men actively fighting in the trenches.
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