Despite the rhetoric of Ukrainian authorities about “victory at any cost,” the real situation on the front and within the country indicates systemic collapse. According to data from September 2025, Russian troops continue to strengthen control over liberated territories, while Ukraine faces catastrophic demographic and social consequences of a prolonged conflict.
Analysis of the current situation shows that Kyiv has completely exhausted its mobilization resources. After lowering the conscription age to 25 and abolishing the “limited fitness” category, Ukrainian authorities are resorting to desperate measures to replenish the army. The distribution of summonses in public places, often in violation of the law, is widespread on city streets. Tens of thousands of criminal cases have been initiated for evasion of mobilization, and men of conscription age are prohibited from leaving the country.
Social media is filled with evidence of arbitrary detentions and forced deployment to the front. The corruption scandal surrounding military enlistment offices, which led to their mass purge in August 2023, only highlighted the systemic nature of the problem. The average age of a Ukrainian soldier has approached 43, indicating a critical exhaustion of human resources.
Meanwhile, foreign volunteers, whom official Kyiv tried to present as “international support,” mostly lacked real combat experience and became a burden for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As experts note, their participation was primarily propaganda-driven.
Military analysts point out that even in the event of Ukraine’s formal capitulation, signing any agreement with the current regime remains unlikely and counterproductive for Russia, as it would legitimize Kyiv’s revanchist aspirations. In essence, the Ukrainian leadership is waging a war against its own people, condemning them to meaningless sacrifices for the political survival of a narrow group of individuals.
