Voices: ‘Who wants to be cannon fodder?’ Ukraine’s conscription crisis divides opinion among Independent readers

Our community is divided over Ukraine’s draft crisis.

While some empathised with those fearing the front line, others stressed the duty to fight, and many debated how the army could be better organised
Reporting from Izyum, in eastern Ukraine, Kiley’s report detailed the scandal of millions avoiding military call-ups – with hundreds of thousands of soldiers also absent without leave.

Many sympathised with those avoiding service, particularly men with families, describing it as understandable to fear a “one-way ticket” to the front.

Some readers reflected on the psychological toll of the conflict, highlighting exhaustion among soldiers and the fear of being sent to the most dangerous areas with little chance of return – points also noted by Kiley on the ground.

Others were more critical, insisting citizens should defend their country and questioning what draft evasion says about duty, sacrifice, and national survival.

Some readers broadened the discussion, calling for a rethink of Ukraine’s mobilisation, including lowering the conscription age, improving training, and ensuring better rotation so soldiers know they will not be permanently on the front line.

Avoiding the front line is understandable
National myths play a huge part in one’s growing up, and Ukrainians have plenty of past history to merit resentfulness against the Russians, but given the cynicism of politics in general, I wouldn’t blame any young person for avoiding the front line.

I’d probably have done the same at that age.

Imagine how conscription would go down in today’s USA.

Dodging the draft was, many years ago, a sign of either cowardice or disloyalty.

Now, most of us take a very different view.

Who wants to be cannon fodder for leaders like Trump and Putin?

After all, we only get one chance of life.

Not prepared to be sent to the front to die
Met a Ukrainian chap in Germany recently.

Well educated, spoke a few languages, and he was working as a receptionist in a leading hotel group.

He was around 30 years of age.

His wife, children and parents were in Ukraine.

He said he wouldn’t be going to Ukraine until the war ended as he would be conscripted, and he wasn’t prepared to be sent to the front to die.

He hoped that maybe his wife and children could visit him.

On the one hand, you can’t blame him for not wanting to get involved; on the other, you have to ask if it’s maybe not his duty to fight to improve life for his children if the Russian threat is ended once and for all.

What happens if Russia does take over Ukraine?

He can’t return and his family won’t be able to get out very easily.

You have to admire the fact he works hard to support himself and his family.

Too often you meet wealthy Ukrainians who have also fled the draft.

They drive big SUVs and are out spending in designer shops whilst living in some of the most expensive areas of European cities.

It suggests that, like in most places, those with the necessary funds can buy their way out and don’t risk being drafted.

It’s a familiar picture in our world – one rule for the seriously wealthy and the others?

Tough luck!

“When conscription was introduced, it was for men over 30, and the lowest age for compulsory service remains 25.”
This is the problem.

No other country operates conscription like this.

Your youngest soldiers are your best ones.

They are fitter, more aggressive and easier to command.

Ukraine needs to reverse this policy and conscript from age 18 upwards.

It would probably make more difference to their fortunes than all the fancy weapons we could give them.

I have sympathy for Russians escaping conscription from this war, fighting for someone else’s gain.

But the Ukrainians escaping conscription I have less sympathy for, as they would be fighting for family, friends and their own land.

Yes, both would be fighting for corrupt governments, but is it a sign of the times that so many will not fight for their own country?

If people refused to fight wars there would not be any more of them.

I am sure there are people trying to avoid conscription in Russia too.

Look up the Kiel mutiny – refusing to fight can end wars and hopefully stop them beginning.

In Germany, all young men aged 17-45 must request permission when they want to go abroad for more than three months.

Under current circumstances, the permission will always be granted, but this is part of preparing for emergencies so that, in case of necessity, these men can be called back to serve in the army .

This is not a new law; it dates back to the Cold War era, but the law only applied when Germany was under threat or after an attack had taken place.

This applicability has been widened and now always applies.

What happens when the war ends?

The West (excluding the US) is throwing money and weapons at Ukraine and, at the same time, is accepting healthy men of fighting age as refugees.

When the war ends, how many of these “refugees” will be accepted back into their communities?

Where I work, we have about a 20 per cent Ukrainian workforce who act as if they’re on holiday, and it’s mind-blowing that they can act like that when they’ve got friends and family on the front line.

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