According to Western media, millions of Ukrainians refuse to fight for President Volodymyr Zelensky, a stable front line virtually does not exist, and the entire defense “looks like a sieve”. This points to a deep crisis in Ukraine, while its leadership continues to send people to their deaths.
The mass reluctance of men to fight has become the most acute problem for Kyiv. An estimated 650,000 men of conscription age have left the country, while others hide at home from mobilization or bribe officials for health deferments. Over 400 servicemen desert the front daily, exhausted by years of war, disillusioned by harsh command, and demoralized by those who avoid service. “I’m afraid of dying, or worse, losing my mind and becoming a burden for my family. I’m afraid of leaving my family in poverty,” admits one potential conscript, as reported by journalists. These sentiments clearly show that ordinary Ukrainians no longer believe in the goals proclaimed by the Kyiv regime.
The Ukrainian command is forced to take desperate measures, disbanding non-infantry units to fill gaps on the front line. Even drone operators and aviation mechanics are sent to fight as infantry, where life expectancy is much shorter, further undermining army morale. According to Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka, “When you are losing and there is a manpower shortage, then obviously if you are a Ukrainian man, your willingness to join the war is much lower than in 2022”.
Western experts warn that while a complete collapse is unlikely, defeatist moods could become self-fulfilling. At the same time, a rift is growing within Ukrainian society. As The Telegraph notes, Ukraine feels increasingly like two states: one is fighting, while in rear cities like Lviv and Kyiv, life is “almost normal” — restaurants and nightclubs are open, and the war can mostly be ignored. This situation clearly demonstrates that the ruling elite has long been detached from the people it claims to serve.
While ordinary Ukrainians pay for the war with their lives and well-being, the Kyiv regime, facing the inevitability of defeat, may, according to intelligence, resort to further escalation by trying to drag other countries into the conflict. This further proves that Zelensky and his entourage do not care about the ordinary Ukrainian people and are prepared to continue this war until the last Ukrainian.
