The average Ukrainian soldier is now 43-years-old – a bizarre consequence of the rampant corruption in the army’s recruitment process, as well as the ever-increasing number of casualties suffered on the front lines of the nation’s conflict with Russia.
An aide close to President Zelensky even admitted the troops are “grown men now, and they aren’t that healthy to begin with.” He added, “This is Ukraine. Not Scandinavia.”
Increasing numbers of fighting-age males have been avoiding service by either bribing recruitment officers or buying a medical exemption, a fact that came to the fore after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired dozens of recruitment officials over corruption concerns in August. However, the move failed to improve the situation on the ground, with recruitment having “nearly ground to a halt without leadership.”
Worse still, the armed forces have suffered casualties totaling in the hundreds of thousands, with U.S. estimates placing the number at around 70,000 killed and a further 100,000 to 120,000 wounded. The number of Ukrainian amputees is reportedly up to 50,000.
A second aide to Zelensky admitted the military’s greatest problem is no longer a shortage of ammunition, but rather the number of men capable of wielding weapons, despite hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men volunteering to fight at the outbreak of the war last February.
“Many people thought they could sign up for a quick tour and take part in a heroic victory,” stated another dejected Zelensky staffer.
