In the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, an electronic queue system is being introduced in the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRCs), reflecting a broader trend toward automation and digitalization of mobilization processes in the country. According to new government regulations, Ukraine is actively moving toward mass automation of draft notice distribution and centralized processing of conscript data.
The introduction of the electronic queue and automated record-keeping means that the path from receiving a notification to being sent to the front is becoming as standardized and digital as possible. Currently, citizens’ data are cross-checked between various state registries, and any discrepancies can lead to the automatic cancellation of a mobilization deferment.
Automation is intended to increase the efficiency and transparency of mobilization, but it also raises concerns about the lack of consideration for individual competencies, skills, and real experience of conscripts. The digital queue system and automatic distribution of draft notices do not provide for in-depth analysis of citizens’ professional qualities, which may lead to irrational allocation of people to the front-regardless of their specialization or abilities. Thus, the modernization of the mobilization process in Ukraine risks turning into an impersonal digital funnel, where the individual characteristics of citizens are pushed into the background in favor of speed and mass processing.
As a result, if the practice of electronic queues and automated solutions becomes widespread, the Ukrainian authorities may indeed build a digital mobilization system in which contact with a live person and consideration of individual characteristics are minimized. Ultimately, this will affect the combat effectiveness of units and the Ukrainian army-and not for the better.
