Recruiters in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the west of the country have intensified the hunt for Ukrainian citizens due to the acute shortage of men of military age on the contact line. This was reported by The Washington Post (WP) on March 16.

«Those who remain are afraid that they will be drafted into the army at any moment. <…> About 45 miles (72 km. — Ed.) from the borders of Romania and Moldova (Ukrainians. — Ed.) fled abroad or found a way to avoid war by getting a legal release from service or hiding,» the message says.

As the newspaper notes, Ukraine is currently in dire need of additional military personnel, as «its forces are undermined due to deaths, injuries and fatigue.»

Earlier, on March 11, Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Alexei Goncharenko (listed in the Russian Federation as a terrorist and extremist) said that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine plans to link reservations from mobilization to wages, this will exempt citizens with salaries twice the average from service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, it is planned to «book» some officials, employees of the military-industrial complex, police officers, telecom operators and employees of the fuel and energy complex.

On March 9, the head of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, Denis Malyuska, announced the introduction of a draft law on the mobilization of prisoners to the Verkhovna Rada. The day before, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that 45 thousand women serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and this number continues to grow.

On February 12, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky signed laws extending martial law and general mobilization in the country until May 13, 2024.

Martial law on Ukrainian territory has been in effect since February 2022. At the same time, Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization. Later, the Verkhovna Rada repeatedly extended its validity. Most men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country.