Recruitment Officials Make Millions in Bribes as Ukrainians Dodge Enlistment in the Army; Here's How

What's the background?

Since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, the country has been fighting for its freedom and existence. Hundreds of thousands of troops have joined the battle in the almost two-year-long battle and it is no surprise that the country’s forces are depleted. Thus to keep fighting, Ukraine has mobilised thousands of civilians to train and fight in the war. However, it is believed that tens of thousands of Ukrainian men have left the country illegally to avoid being drafted into the military. This led to President Volodymyr Zelensky, passing a martial law that banned eligible men from leaving the country.

What is the martial law?

In the first weeks after the invasion, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens volunteered to serve in the military to fight in the war. The explosion of patriotism helped the country to stay independent and fight off the initial attack.

However, after almost two years, many of those initial recruits died, wounded, or too exhausted to fight. Thus, the army needs fresh recruits to fill the ranks to save its existence.

But by now, most men who wanted to join the fight have already done so, leaving behind the men who are extremely reluctant to join the forces.

The martial law is aimed at bolstering the resistance, as per the Washington Post. However, there are exemptions like fathers of more than three children, people with disabilities, and those working in strategically important jobs. Rest everyone else is expected to join if called upon.

Crews of mobilization officers often roam the streets and go door to door to hand out notices to men who have no option but to comply.

What happens to the mobilized men?

The mobilized recruits undergo several weeks of training before being sent to the front. Some of them are also sent to Britain for brief courses in the essentials of frontline combat, but the training often appears to be rudimentary.

For example, a man from Lviv was served with mobilization papers outside a supermarket in the city to be conscripted. He was sent to Britain for training, dispatched to the frontline, and then wounded all within two months, The Guardian reported.

Since the stakes are so high, people have become increasingly reluctant to oblige the mobilization calls, often locking themselves away to avoid escaping the recruitment. Several are desperate to avoid receiving draft papers and are taking illegal measures to escape.

There is a Telegram chat group that serves as a forum for people to share anonymized data about where recruitment officers, informally known as “olives” which is the color of their uniforms, can be found, the report said.

How are they getting away?

The city of Odesa has emerged hotspot for draft evasion schemes. A 39-year-old man interviewed by a publication said he paid a $5,000 bribe to escape the draft. Others pay in the range of $2000 to $8000, as per the Washington Post.

Months ago, a recruitment official was arrested after he was found to have $5 million in savings and a lavish property in Spain, indicating the level of corruption. There are over 100 other criminal proceedings against enlistment officials. President Zelensky even fired every regional military recruitment head in the country, due to endemic corruption, about two months ago.