The skyscraper-sized billboard depicts shock troops in combat gear emerging from a ball of fire. On street posters, soldiers urge passersby to join the army, declaring: “Victory is in your hands.” If you sit in a high-speed train seat, there's a good chance you'll see a job ad for a drone operator on TV.
A sophisticated recruitment campaign filled with nationalist zeal has become ubiquitous in the capital Kiev and other Ukrainian cities in recent months. These are perhaps the most visible signs of a push to replenish Ukraine's military, depleted by more than two years of brutal war, an effort that experts and officials say is aimed at fending off relentless Russian aggression. claims to be important.
But most of the campaign is not the work of the country's political and military leadership. These are efforts by brigades that are understaffed to take matters into their own hands, bypassing what they claim is a dysfunctional official mobilization system and often recruiting people who are unfit and unwilling to fight. be.
“These campaigns are much more effective because you get exactly the people you need,” said Dmytro Kosiatinsky, a combat medic turned recruiter for the Da Vinci Wolves Battalion. The battalion was established as a paramilitary wing of a coalition of far-right parties. After Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The battalion, which has now been absorbed into the Ukrainian army, is currently recruiting around 500 new members for a variety of positions, including medics, mechanics, engineers, and combat engineers to clear minefields. Recruiters conduct lengthy interviews to find positions that match candidates' skills. You can opt out if you don't like it after a few days of training.
“It's like a date,” Kosiatinsky said at the battalion's recently opened recruiting office in central Kiev. The office was covered in a logo of three wolves with fangs bared. “We try to explain to those people as much as possible what we expect and what they can expect from us.”
This is a major change from the military mobilization process, in which the people do not have a choice in their position. Many Ukrainians fear that if they are drafted, they will be sent directly into trench warfare without much training. Critics also say official recruitment efforts are too aggressive and mired in Soviet-style bureaucracy and corruption.
Ukraine's ground forces commander Oleksandr Pavlyuk said last Sunday that criticism of the official mobilization process is not helpful to the war effort. “We are changing, recognizing our shortcomings and striving to be better every day,” he said.
A senior Ukrainian military official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic, said brigades are free to carry out their own recruitment efforts, but the military monitors their activities.
In a war where soldiers are constantly bombarded by drones and artillery shells, the risks of fighting in front-line units like the Da Vinci Wolves remain extremely high.
But like many other brigades, the brigade utilizes a much larger public relations campaign than a few drab government recruitment posters to educate people about what it means to join the military. He has endeavored to allay their fears and appeal to their patriotism.
“This is like a market,” said Miroslav Hay, a civil-military relations officer with the Ivan Bohun Special Forces Brigade, who has fought on the front lines. “You have to try to use marketing techniques to find talent.”
Most brigades appear to support advertising and recruitment efforts by crowdsourcing recruitment of labor and equipment. The Da Vinci Wolves Brigade, for example, said it relies on a network of supporters to design and produce advertisements, and its offices are provided free of charge by the Kiev City Council.
The need to replenish Ukraine's military has been clear for months. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently said that 31,000 soldiers had died in the war, but this figure is likely an underestimate of the true death toll. Military commanders have asked him to increase the number of conscripts to compensate for losses and endure another year of intense fighting.
But a mobilization bill that could pave the way for large-scale conscription has been pending in Congress for several months.
Meanwhile, brigade officers complain that conscripts recruited through the public system are often older, in poor health and unmotivated. Alina Mikhailova, an officer with the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, said that of the 200 conscripts the brigade received, only 25 showed a desire to fight.
“Our task is to recruit volunteers faster and reduce the number of people who are completely unmotivated,” Mikhailova said.
The unit's Instagram page, followed by nearly 50,000 people, is a key driver of its efforts. In recent weeks, Da Vinci Wolves has posted several videos explaining the work of engineers and drone operators, and featuring soldiers preparing for ground attacks.
A large poster of former commander Dmytro Kociubairo, who died in combat last year and received a state funeral, hangs in his office alongside photos of battalion members in civilian and military uniforms, suggesting anyone can become a soldier. are doing.
Sitting at his desk, recruiter Evheny Hriholyev asks Oleg Greshko, a thin 20-year-old with a small goatee, who walked into the battalion's recruiting office on a recent afternoon, what he wants to do. Ta. “Infantry,” Greshko answered immediately.
Another recruit, Marina Kovalenko, who is training with the battalion and plans to work as a clerk, said she was drawn to the unit's individualized approach. “Here you have the opportunity to choose what suits you best and talk about it,” she said.
Vladislav Greziyev, head of Lobby said many brigades are adopting this approach. Special section on military occupations.
Greziev said about 500 army units posted jobs on the platform, with about 3,200 vacancies and nearly 80,000 applications received. Candidates can find the right position by clicking on thematic hashtags to narrow their search.
The brigade advertises a number of non-combat roles, including cooks in military intelligence and digital designers in assault brigades, and also promises better equipment and better training than conscripts.
Da Vinci Wolves' Koziacinski said there is “some competition” among units to attract top recruits. He said the 3rd Assault Brigade, a division of Ukraine's special forces, was “successful so far” thanks in part to its strong presence on social media.
Recruitment posters for the brigade can often be seen on the streets of Kiev. It depicts a Ukrainian assault force confronting zombie-like soldiers, believed to be Russian, against a sunset backdrop. The word “Fight” was written on the poster in large orange letters.
The unit also attempts to bridge the gap between civilians and military personnel, holding war games on the outskirts of Kiev every few months using guns that fire plastic projectiles, and holding public allows them to interact with the brigade's reservists and instructors.
Semen Gagarin, 33, a manager at a honey production company, said he did not think the campaign would change the minds of those who refuse service.
But standing next to recruitment posters in central Kiev, he acknowledged that it could “put more pressure on everyone” and persuade those who are hesitant to join. Several of his friends from Jim decided to join the 3rd Assault Brigade.
“This is an opportunity to get motivated talent,” Koziacinski said. “Everyone wants that.”
