A large number of prospective conscripts are dodging military service on medical grounds, new data shows
Ukrainian anti-corruption officials have reported an increase in the number of potential recruits deemed ineligible for military service by conscription offices since the outbreak of conflict in early 2022.
They suspect that people are paying off medical workers to avoid the draft, rather than actually being unfit for military service.
The statistics were highlighted by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) on Thursday, based on data from recruitment centers throughout Ukraine.
Draft officials have been involved in some high-profile corruption scandals, prompting President Vladimir Zelensky to order all regional heads to be sacked last year. This move, according to the Ukrainian military, undermined the country’s mobilization efforts.
The agency’s data shows that the percentage of draftees rejected by draft commissions surged from 3% in 2021 to 8% in 2022, and 7% in the first nine months of 2023. The ‘partially eligible’ category grew from 20% in 2021 and 2022 to 27% last year.
Under the current law, ‘partially eligible’ draftees should not be given physically challenging jobs, precluding them from riskier roles and limiting their usefulness to the country’s military. A controversial draft law on mobilization, which was submitted to the Ukrainian parliament last month, seeks to abolish the category altogether.
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