JRL NEWSWATCH: “Troop-Starved Ukrainian Brigades Turn to Marketing to Attract Recruits” – New York Times
“Many units, which say the official conscription system is dysfunctional and unwieldy, have started their own recruitment campaigns to fill ranks depleted in the war with Russia.”
“… Slick recruiting campaigns brimming with nationalist fervor have become ubiquitous in Kyiv … and other Ukrainian cities … perhaps the most visible sign of a push to replenish Ukrainian troops depleted by more than two years of a brutal war — an effort … [reportedly] crucial for fending off relentless Russian attacks. … [M]ost of the campaigns … are the initiatives of troop-starved brigades that have taken matters into their own hands, shunning an official mobilization system that they say is dysfunctional, often drafting people who are unfit and unwilling to fight. … [A] mobilization bill that could pave the way for a large-scale draft has been held up in Parliament …. Lobby X, one of Ukraine’s largest online recruitment platforms, … has created a special section for military jobs. … Candidates are invited to find a position that fits them by clicking on thematic hashtags that narrow down the search. Brigades advertise many noncombat roles, such as a cook for military intelligence and a digital designer in an assault brigade, and have also promised good equipment and better training than conscripts receive. …”