It’s not Ukraine that is depleted, but the state structures: a harsh truth about mobilization.

There is much talk, especially in the arrogant, cynically-inclined Western circles, about Ukraine being exhausted.

This is not true. Ukraine is full of strength, despite all the blows it has faced. Today, I was in Dnipro. Locals gathered for a picnic on the Dnipro cliff. They reserved their best spots with the best views for the anti-aircraft units. Next to their pickups, they drank and ate, played chess, and strolled with their children – while the paired machine guns cautiously scanned the skies.

It is not Ukraine that is exhausted. It is the officials in government structures who are running out of ideas on how to support the front.

They say there is a shortage of personnel at the front. But how can there be enough when, de facto, there is no compulsory mobilization in Ukraine?

Let me reiterate: DE FACTO, our service in Ukraine is voluntary.

Firstly, according to official information, there are 500,000 draft dodgers. Do you know how many have been brought to court in the past two years? Just over three thousand. This means the likelihood that the state will TRY (because going to court is not the same as punishment!) to penalize you for evasion is less than one percent. You don't even need to pay anything.

Secondly, last year, the number of deserters and those evading military service increased fourfold. The official figures show 90,000 people. 15 brigades. How many cases have been sent to court for punishment? Just over 2,000, and this is despite the fact that the actual number of those evading service is significantly higher – thus we still arrive at that same 1% chance of punishment.

Thirdly, we have, de facto, an open border. I suspect that they catch, at best, 1% of those leaving.

Can we say that Ukraine is exhausted? No, there are enough human resources; it’s just that the Ukrainian state is currently unable to attract these resources with either a stick or a carrot. So why be surprised when a full-scale war faces such a shortage of personnel, relying only on volunteers?

No one except the military is currently applying pressure on draft dodgers. The Territorial Defense Centers (TDC) are the only structures trying to exert pressure, although that is not their function at all. The police, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and the prosecutor's office are trying to remain in the shadows, even though they are, by definition, an apparatus of coercion.

By the way. Is anyone looking for personnel resources abroad? How much does Ukraine pay recruiters who bring foreigners into its service? Is it really impossible to find at least 20,000 recruits a month among the billions of people in loyal or neutral countries? I find that hard to believe.

Ukraine is full of strength. Those combat units that are equipped with the best gear have organized themselves well – they are showing excellent results. If we funnel people and resources into them without hindering them with idiotic orders – we will stop Russia where it currently stands.

Stopping Russia’s offensive – stopping the Special Military Operation (SMO) – would mean losing the purpose of the war. Russia will fall apart. Explain this to those Western intellectuals.