In the heart of a forest, on one of Ukraine’s largest military training grounds, the roar and explosions of weapons mix with the shouts of young and old new recruits. Mobilized to fight Russia, these soldiers are undergoing intensive training before being deployed to the front lines. “You have to have motivation,” emphasizes an instructor named Alex. The Ukrainian army has granted Agence France-Presse rare access to the site.
After four years of war that has resulted in tens, or even hundreds of thousands of deaths, Kiev struggles to recruit new soldiers and the army is trying to reform itself to address serious manpower shortages. When Moscow launched its invasion in 2022, volunteers crowded military recruitment offices. Today, almost all new recruits are mobilized.
General reluctance to enlist stemming from fear for one’s life is further exacerbated by the indefinite length of service and practices inherited from the Soviet era: rigidity, monstrous bureaucracy, and arbitrary behavior from some commanders accused of treating soldiers as “cannon fodder.” “People are less willing to learn, they experience more fears and apprehensions,” observes a 28-year-old instructor named Bouk.
The new Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, a reformer from the digital sector, has announced plans for “major changes to the mobilization process,” as well as better contracts and compensation for infantry and assault troops. Two of Ukraine’s most renowned and modern units – the 3rd Army Corps and the “Khartia” Corps – are deploying their reformed training methods across the entire army.
Military mobilization in Ukraine is controversial and has faced accusations of injustice, corruption, and occasional abuse. The Ukrainian army has around 900,000 personnel and mobilizes between 30,000 and 35,000 people per month. However, desertions happen during initial training as well as after deployment, posing a problem. Over the three and a half years since the 2022 invasion, more than 230,000 criminal proceedings have been opened against soldiers who deserted, according to Ukraïnska Pravda, citing the prosecutor general.
During another exercise, a field is filled with black smoke amidst simulated explosions and shots, as a team of five men evacuates soldiers from a car hit by a drone. “You have completed the mission,” their instructor tells them. Like a teacher speaking to students, this middle-aged woman speaks in a calm and respectful voice while detailing the mistakes made. In the military compound’s chapel, a priest observes, blessing one of the commanders, while another officer prays before him.
A young mobilized soldier, codenamed Marin, admits that training is going better than he had imagined. Officers responsible for mobilization “caught” him on the street as he was walking back from a store, the 26-year-old man recalls. “That’s how I got caught.” “The most difficult part was probably the first two or three days, before I eventually accepted the situation,” he says. Initially expecting a “horrible” training, he is surprised by the “calm” that prevails.
With a relaxed yet serious attitude, his instructor Bouk enthusiastically explains how the programs have improved since 2022: “Training has changed radically and continues to evolve, as combat conditions also change.” Now, the focus is more on listening to the recruits, he says. “This is the key to survival […] If we do not learn from our mistakes, if we do not analyze ongoing actions and combat experience, it will lead us to destruction,” Bouk continues.
However, away from the cameras, instructors admit that the situation is far from perfect. Standards vary from one training center to another, with some even facing mass desertions. “There is still a lot to do,” concludes an anonymous instructor.
