KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Scores of protesters gathered on the streets of Ukrainian cities on Friday to demand a cap of 18 months on mandatory military service, amid new suggestions of possible Ukrainian and international weariness with the 20-month war.
Both the warring sides are striving to keep their military momentum, though neither side has been able to land a knockout blow, and the fighting is expected to drag on deep into next year.
Ukraine ordered a general mobilization of the male population between the ages of 25 to 60 when Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. The vast majority joined up as volunteers. As the war grinds on, Ukraine has ramped up the draft.
The 18-month service limit sought by the protesters would be the same maximum as before the war. It is currently open-ended for draftees. The protesters, who are part of a loose national network, want the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, to consider possible alternatives on service time.
Yeah like… fuck. I get where they are coming from, and I can’t really fault them on a human individual level. Even if Ukraine comes out of this as the undisputed victors with all of their land and resources returned to them and full EU and NATO membership (and I REALLY hope they do), the people these protestors are advocating for are going to return home permanently changed by what they experienced.
Like you said/alluded to though that’s better than the alternative. I don’t know, maybe some kind of rotation could be implemented where they get to go home for a couple of months to rest and get a lot of mental health related services to help them maintain their effectiveness?
| War is war and Hell is Hell and of the two war is a lot worse -Hawkeye Pierce