Woyem News 
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has announced the dismissal of all regional military recruitment chiefs in an effort to combat corruption. This comes after numerous reports of officers accepting bribes to allow men to evade conscription in the fight against the Russian invasion. Since the invasion, prosecutors have opened 112 cases against 33 officials involved in recruitment, revealing the extent of corruption in the war-stricken country. Recent allegations included accusations of officers falsifying documents in exchange for large sums of money. President Zelensky expressed his contempt for the corrupt officials and emphasized the need for integrity, stating that those removed without any wrongdoing should serve at the front to prove their dignity. The existing heads of the centers will be replaced with soldiers who have firsthand experience of the war or are unable to serve due to health issues or disabilities.
The corruption surrounding draft evasion strikes a nerve for many, especially those who have lost loved ones in the conflict. Oksana Borkun, whose husband was killed fighting the Russians, expressed her indignation and despair, pointing out that many soldiers on the front line desperately need to be replaced. However, some believe that the removal of corrupt officials will have little impact on enlistment corruption, as those who wish to avoid conscription will continue to do so. President Zelensky faces the challenge of maintaining public support for the war while fighting corruption and ensuring that aid provided by Western backers is not misused.
Although the scale of enlistment corruption and draft evasion remains unclear, this is not the first scandal to rock President Zelensky’s administration. Previous scandals involved inflated prices for military food procurement, which led to the ousting of several top government officials. Investigations into recruitment scams and corruption allegations were only initiated after being exposed by Ukrainian news media. The dismissal of the regional recruitment chiefs marks the most significant change to Ukraine’s military structure since the invasion, reflecting the depth of the problem and the challenges faced by the country after months of brutal fighting.
While casualty figures are not often disclosed by Kyiv, it is estimated that over 150,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed or wounded, in addition to tens of thousands of civilian casualties. Ukraine’s counteroffensive to retake lost territory has been slow and arduous, resulting in incremental gains. Meanwhile, Russian forces are advancing in the northeast. As Ukraine struggles to fill its ranks, there has been a growing number of individuals attempting to evade conscription. The State Border Guard has reported an average of 20 arrests per day for men attempting to leave the country. Under martial law, males between the ages of 18 and 60 are required to undergo medical screening and report to their local recruitment offices. Exemptions include being enrolled in university, having a disability, or having at least three children. Women in the Ukrainian military are volunteers, not conscripts.
The decision to replace the heads of the recruitment offices was approved by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, with General Valeriy Zaluzhny overseeing the implementation of the changes. Although the exact number of people in Ukraine’s armed services is not publicly available, the nation aims to have an army of one million people. In the early stages of the war, only those with military experience or specific skills were conscripted. However, there were complaints about the secretive and corrupt nature of the conscription process. Last year, the government banned recruitment officers from issuing summonses in public places in response to public outcry.
