Inside Ukraine's street-level hunt for new soldiers: A recruiter tells his story
Ukrainian military faces tough choices in finding new recruits as the conflict enters its third year. A recruitment officer shares his daily work of bringing men to military service in war-torn eastern regions
In a small eastern-Ukrainian town Artem starts his work-day checking locations where fighting-age men might hide. His job – getting new soldiers for the army (which he wont tell even his closest friends about)
His team goes to check-points cafes and transport-hubs looking for men aged 25 to 60. “Sometimes its like dealing with a cornered rat“ he says – describing how they take people to recruitment centers in their vans
Those who resist always threaten to take revenge on our guys or their families
The military needs more people as Russian forces move forward at un-seen speed. US officials push to lower draft age to 18; while local chat-groups with 100k+ members share info about recruiter locations using sun-emojis for safe spots
- Markets and parks
- Factory areas
- Subway stations
- Beach zones
- Night-clubs
Basiley a 35-year old local tells how men avoid going outside: “Youʼre basically afraid to walk from your home“ he says – checking twice before leaving his apartment. The recruitment teams dont let people pack things or call families anymore; since many just dont come back
After about 2 years doing this work Artem doesnt feel bad anymore. “I believe its better to work for TCC than to hide from it‚“ he states; making it clear that its now just another job for him. The daily hunt continues as Ukraine needs more soldiers to defend its land
