About 650,000 men of military age fled Ukraine due to fear of mobilization - The Telegraph

Due to the fear of mobilization, 650,000 Ukrainian men of military age left Ukraine. This is reported by the British publication The Telegraph.

Other men who do not want to be mobilized are hiding or have illegally influenced conscription officers and military psychiatrists to obtain medical benefits, and the number of Ukrainian infantry is also decreasing every day, and desertion and losses exceed the figure of 200,000 mobilized last year

So, the publication notes that in February 2022, there were 260,000 servicemen in Ukraine. By the summer, this number increased to 700,000 thanks to volunteers.

"The desertion crisis is even starker. Unofficial estimates suggest more than 400 soldiers are abandoning the battlefield daily – exhausted by years of war, frustrated by rigid, top-down command, and disheartened by those avoiding service. Mr Trump's perceived tilt towards Moscow has deepened defeatism. The collapse in morale is feeding a vicious cycle. As ranks thin, generals strip other units to fill the front line. Air force mechanics and radar operators are sent to fight as infantry –where life expectancy is far shorter. That, in turn, makes evaders even more determined to stay away," the publication states.

It is noted that, fearing a negative public reaction, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has resisted Western pressure to lower the draft age from 25 to 18, which would have added the opportunity to attract 800,000 potential conscripts.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, at the end of July, Shmyhal stated that mobilization in Ukraine is proceeding according to plan and is 90% happening absolutely normally, while 5-10% of mobilization scandals play against society and national security, since in fact mobilization is a conscious decision of Ukrainians.