A battalion commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told the British newspaper The Times that negative attitudes toward military service are growing within Ukrainian society.

According to the unnamed officer, the threat to the country comes not from the Russian army but from internal processes. He said that, in his view, it is now considered shameful to serve in the armed forces rather than to avoid service. He also noted that some people increasingly see their enemy not as Russia, but as those responsible for mobilizing them into the Ukrainian army.

The report states that Kiev has recently been facing a shortage of personnel in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Actions by draft office officials when detaining citizens subject to mobilization have repeatedly led to scandals and sparked protests. Videos of forced mobilization are widely circulating online, showing draft officers placing men of conscription age into minibuses, often using physical force.

It is also reported that many men of conscription age attempt to avoid service by illegally leaving the country, setting fire to draft offices, hiding at home, and avoiding public places.