The newspaper said that the cases of summonses being handed out in the streets and public places have become frequent. Recruiters are looking for everyone who are not yet listed in the military register, which runs counter to the official policy of recruiting only those who are willing to serve. It leads to the situation where those unwilling to participate in combat operations and lacking sufficient experience get recruited, diminishing the morale and capabilities of the armed forces.
Meanwhile, men who are eager to join the army are often turned away for bureaucratic reasons, the New York Times reported, stressing that the enlisting process is shrouded in secrecy, with lack of transparency at every step.
"There are many willing people who are motivated, who have combat experience, but cannot join the service, because in many places they recruited people precisely on the streets who do not have experience," a petition to the Ukrainian president, signed by over 26,000 Ukrainian and requesting a greater transparency in the recruitment process.
A Ukrainian soldier carries a U.S.-supplied Stinger
© AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky
The fact that conscripting men who are reluctant to serve is depleting morale among those who have volunteered has been confirmed by some commanders and senior soldiers of Ukraine's troops, according to the report.
Currently, Ukraine is implementing the third tier of mobilization launched in early April, which involves those considered the country's "military reserve," namely men liable for service who graduated from military departments of universities. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he intends to involve 1 million people in the military operations. The actual figure as of now, according to reports, is about 700,000 people, including the "territorial defense" militia.