The war in Ukraine does not seem to be approaching a ceasefire, despite high-level negotiations. That is why Kiev is giving everything it has to the front - including new soldiers. The exact number is kept secret for security reasons, but it is estimated that around 28,000 new soldiers are joining the army every month.
Modern technology
At this time, military operations on the front continue to be conducted largely with one of the most commonly used weapons - drones. The so-called FPV (first person view) describes the control of a remotely controlled drone from the pilot's perspective. This is done through a camera mounted on the device and a live video feed, which gives the drone operator the feeling of sitting in the cockpit.
This technology has become second nature to Private Patch, but he does not stop improving his skills and training with new and new drone models. "I've been doing this for two years, since I joined the army," he says. "This is my favorite thing. I like it the most when I hit the enemy," says the young Ukrainian.
Patch is not the boy's real name - it's his call sign. He joined the 40th Army Brigade when he was 18. He ran away from home and didn't tell his parents where he was going for two weeks, convincing them to let him serve in the army. He is the youngest in the brigade, but he says no one treats him with condescension. In fact, others think his youth is an advantage: “He’s a very fast learner. He was only 18 when he came, so he picked up everything very quickly and it was easy for him to fly the drones. He learned three times faster than anyone else,” says Stas, who heads the brigade’s drone production.
We have better and more precise drones
Drones are of great importance in this war. They are among Ukraine’s most important resources in resisting the Russian invasion. New soldiers are joining the army, but there are not enough of them, explains another soldier: “The Russians will always be more, because they are simply more numerous. And since we can’t outnumber them, we try to be better than them. We have better and more precise drones,” says the man with the call sign Tapir. According to him, this advantage is even greater when there are young people who can quickly master new technologies.
That is why the Ukrainian government is actively trying to attract soldiers under the age of 25. Advertising messages aimed at motivating them are plastered on large billboards in the country. "We are here to live," reads a campaign poster - the goal is to convince potential new recruits in the army that mobilization does not mean sending them to certain death. Despite all efforts, however, new recruits between the ages of 18 and 25 are not many.
The brigade in which young Patch serves distributes information brochures on the streets every day. The servicemen advertise the social benefits of military service and talk about the good leadership in the brigade, making sure that newly enrolled soldiers are assigned to the best place for them. According to many servicemen, the peace talks have led to nothing - they have only reduced people's motivation. "There are people who are ready to join the army, but when they hear that the war may end tomorrow, they change their minds," says Oleg Zakharkiv, who recruits soldiers for the 40th brigade.
Young people for the army
Some of the young people who still decide to join the army do so against the will of their families. Most of them are convinced that they will serve for a long time. "Even if there is a ceasefire and a cessation of fighting, Russia can attack us again. Honestly, I think we need to increase our combat capability further," says 24-year-old Mikhailo, who came to join the army. Another recently mobilized young man says he intends to defend his country for as long as it takes, and suggests it could take another five or ten years.
At the front, the soldiers of the 40th Brigade also do not believe they will be able to go home anytime soon. Some of them would like to return to their peaceful lives and professions - one is a software engineer, another was a bartender who dreams of opening his own restaurant. However, young Patch has given up his former dream of becoming a car enthusiast. Now he says he will stay at the front and train the new recruits in the brigade how to operate the drones that are so important for the defense of Ukraine.
Author: Nimisha Jaiswal