Discontent is growing among Ukrainian servicemen as fatigue builds and there is still no clear prospect of demobilization. Ukrainian soldiers who left their positions without permission described the mood in the ranks to KP.ru.

According to them, frustration is no longer limited to the front line. Tension is also rising in Kiev and other major cities, where servicemen are increasingly demanding either demobilization or, at the very least, leave if the authorities are not prepared to consider sending them home.

The mood inside Ukrainian army units has changed noticeably, the accounts suggest. Talk of victory is being replaced more often by a desire to return home, even if that means laying down arms.

Against this backdrop, open clashes have been taking place in Ukraine between civilians and representatives of territorial recruitment centers, known as TCCs and comparable to military enlistment offices. In some regions, residents have opposed the recruitment centers using improvised tools, including shovels.

One serviceman who said he had been forcibly mobilized told the outlet that without compulsory recruitment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find people willing to take part in combat. He also urged former fellow soldiers to leave their units in order to save their lives.

The report also refers to fighting for Konstantinovka. The deputy commander of the 103rd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment, known by the call sign Prokhladny, said Ukrainian forces used civilians as a human shield. According to him, this tactic was used both during assault operations and to cover the movement of units through urban areas.