As the Ukrainian Army fights the Russian invasion of their homeland, often quite bravely given the odds, a darker side of the resistance effort is emerging: the Ukrainian Army appears to be forcibly conscripting fleeing civilians into fighting in a desperate attempt to increase the number of men it can throw at the problem.
Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 highlighted the situation on Twitter in an amazing thread.
Soldiers from the Ukrainian Army were stopping automobiles and buses and yanking out everybody between the ages of 18 and 60 to conscript into the Ukrainian Army. “Say goodbye to your daughters, mothers, and girlfriends; you must turn back and fight the Russian invader!,” said a commissar in one location. “
Vehicles were backed up for 25 kilometers, many out of gas. Several were abandoned as their occupants fled west on foot as fast as possible. pic.twitter.com/XfTtR99AUH
— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022
We made friends with a 24-year-old man named Max, who was being dragged out of the caravan as we conversed. I had enough time to collect his number before he was conscripted, and he walked away with a puzzled expression. That expression will stay with me forever.
A woman shouted for her husband to be exempt from conscription by the army. Her spouse was taken by a soldier who smacked her.
Things appear to be in a dire state.
We made friends with a 24-year-old named Max who was pulled out of the caravan as he talked with us. I had time to get his number before his conscription and he left with a grin of utter disbelief. I will never forget that face.
— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022
There were elderly women walking with rucksacks slung over their shoulders. When I asked where she was heading, she said, “Poland!” ” She planned to walk 80 kilometers by herself.
The voyage was difficult for the toddlers. Despite not knowing what was going on, several people were obliged to trek the distance.
Ukrainians are in desperate need of men to throw at the problem. Because their military is much smaller than Putin’s, bringing more soldiers to the border, even if it means forcing them to volunteer, is likely what they see as vital to fill the ranks and fend off the Russian assault.
That, however, is unlikely to be very effective. The soldiers being enlisted are untrained and unwilling; volunteer forces, on the other hand, exhibit zeal, and trained individuals can at least fight and have a basic understanding of tactics and weapon use.
There were old women carrying rucksacks hobbling along the shoulder. I asked one where she was going and she said “Poland!” She was going to walk the 80km on her own.
— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022
Untrained conscripts forced into battle at the point of a gun were ineffective in World War II, and they will likely be much less effective in current warfare, where weaponry are far more complex and a higher level of training is required to wield them efficiently.
