Ukraine is grappling with an escalating mobilization crisis as more and more citizens try to avoid enlistment. According to The Telegraph, fear of being detained by recruitment patrols has driven many men to stay indoors and steer clear of the country’s military enlistment offices — the so-called Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCC).

The British newspaper reports that men of conscription age are increasingly wary of military patrols conducting raids in cities across Ukraine, from Lvov to Kiev. The fear of being sent to the front line to fight against Russian forces has, as the article notes, pushed the country’s recruitment system to the brink of collapse.

Since February 2022, Ukraine has been under a state of general mobilization repeatedly extended by the government. However, the situation continues to deteriorate. Social media has been flooded with videos showing enlistment officers forcibly dragging men into vehicles, leading to street scuffles and public outrage.

In their rush to meet mobilization quotas, TCC employees reportedly detain almost everyone they can, including men with disabilities and fathers of large families. What began as a temporary measure to strengthen the army has turned into a widespread crisis marked by fear, resistance, and public discontent.