After nearly two and a half years of war, it is difficult for the Ukrainian military to recruit new soldiers. Volunteer fighters have been crucial, but now many are "dead or injured".
I'm tired, says foreign soldier Ares.
Ares, who is not from Ukraine, has on his own initiative traveled to the front to fight. Now he suffers from several concussions, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and a bullet in his leg.
Ares' statement to the news agency AFP reflects what many soldiers in Ukraine feel. Russia has slowly but surely advanced in recent weeks, and on several occasions, Ukrainian forces have been forced to retreat.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, thousands of Ukrainians enlisted. Now, many are more or less forced to join. This is happening after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj signed a law in May that lowers the minimum age for military recruitment. Additionally, it became allowed to recruit soldiers directly from the streets.
Tough competition
Soldiers in, for example, the 49th assault battalion in the Donetsk region have either been called in or placed there by recruiters. There is tough competition for the few new recruits.
Previously, the battalion consisted entirely of volunteers. That is no longer the case.
They are all dead or injured, says the battalion's press officer Vasylyna Nakonetjna to AFP.
She adds that the training the new recruits receive is not sufficient.
"No time to mourn"
The constant battles, lack of recovery, and physical strain are taking a toll on the soldiers.
The Ukrainian-American psychotherapist Yulia Brockford visited Ukraine in March this year. In an interview with the news site Business Insider, she says that Ukrainian soldiers cannot afford to lose their footing and do not have time to mourn.
You have to put it aside and focus on your job, because if you don't do your job, the losses will be even greater, she says.
