Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustym Umerov recently expressed to the public a special "New Year's wish": he hopes that in 2024 a large number of Ukrainian male citizens between the ages of 25 and 60 who are currently living abroad will be called up to ease the growing tensions on the front line.
Earlier, Ukrainian ** Zelensky said that Ukrainian soldiers on the front line urgently need rotation and rest, and the country needs additional "45 to 500,000" troops, although he admitted that such a large scale of conscription will put serious pressure on the domestic economy.
In this regard, Estonian Interior Minister Ranemets said on the 22nd that the country is preparing to sign an agreement with Ukraine to assist in the repatriation of eligible Ukrainian citizens to join the army. Earlier, German parliamentarian Kisevet had also called for the repatriation of Ukrainians in the EU to join the army.
On February 16, a military doctor in the Donetsk region was photographed picking up a mouse, according to Visual China.
In addition to the shortage of troops and the shells of the Russian army, the Ukrainian army is now facing another problem on the front line: rats. As a result of the conflict, harvests were not carried out in many areas during the autumn harvest season, leaving mature crops scattered in the fields as "breadbaskets" for rats. In addition to spreading the disease, the commander of the front line of the Ukrainian army warned that rats could bite off facilities such as cables, posing a potential danger to the safety of the Ukrainian army.
The rat infestation on the front line of the Ukrainian army has intensified: soldiers are suffering from "rat fever", and military security is facing hidden dangers.
On the 23rd, an intelligence briefing released by the British Ministry of Defense showed that the front line in eastern Ukraine is facing a serious rodent infestation. In the cold and damp trenches, rats scurrying around not only make soldiers uncomfortable in the bitter cold, but also face extremely poor hygiene, increasing the risk of disease transmission and posing a potential threat to the security of military installations.
Information gathered by British intelligence agencies shows that the morale of the Ukrainian army is currently very low due to the impact of the rat infestation. At the same time, infectious diseases in the barracks of the Ukrainian and Russian armies, although they have not yet exploded, have indeed increased.
According to the analysis of the British Ministry of Defense, the relatively warm and humid climate in Ukraine this autumn, coupled with the disruption of agricultural production and harvesting by the conflict, and the abundance of food everywhere in the fallow fields, are likely to lead to an increase in the number of rodents such as rats. And as the weather turns colder, these animals may seek refuge in vehicles and defensive positions, putting more strain on frontline soldiers.
The increase in rat populations may also cause them to run into military installations, such as biting off cables, as they migrate in search of a place to live. This would pose a security hazard to the barracks, as a British intelligence agent pointed out**, "This is not new, there were many cases of rats biting military installations as early as World War II." ”
Ukrainian soldiers in a trench in the Zaporizhzhia region on December 5. There are reports that in Kharkiv and other places, some British soldiers have contracted "rat fever", which is transmitted from rats to humans, with symptoms including fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, low blood pressure, rash and difficulty urinating. According to unconfirmed reports, more and more people are falling ill in the Russian troops, which the soldiers blame on the rat infestation.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defense recently adopted a new military decree, valid until 2028, which involves changes in the conscription policy, contract military service, and the military registration system in a number of areas to optimize recruitment. The Verkhovna Rada (parliament) is also amending the relevant laws to regulate the conscription process.
According to the latest news, Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov announced plans to expand the conscription to Ukrainians living abroad. He reminded Ukrainians overseas that if they received a call-up notice and did not report to the barracks, the consequences would be borne by individuals. At the same time, Umerov promised that the drafted people must be physically strong, able to quickly grasp the basic conditions such as ** use, and the recruits will have the right to choose, determine the type and location of the service, and understand the clear and transparent policy, including benefits, equipment allocation and demobilization period.
A Ukrainian parliamentarian revealed that the draft law on conscription abroad is expected to be ready by January next year.
Estonia responded quickly to Umerov's call for conscription.
In accordance with international law, Ukraine does not have the right to transfer citizens residing in Estonia in the absence of an independent bilateral agreement. However, Estonian Interior Minister Ranemets indicated on the 22nd that Estonia is preparing for a legal agreement with Ukraine to facilitate the conscription of Ukrainians by the Ukrainian authorities in Estonia. "Estonia will not sit idly by, and we are gladly ready to sign an agreement to fully assist Ukraine. We have a clear understanding of the situation of these people living in Estonia. We stand ready to help transport these people from Estonia to Ukraine if there is a need in Ukraine. ”
According to the report, about 7,500 Ukrainian citizens of military service age are currently settled in Estonia, however, many of them have been granted residency in Estonia and are therefore exempt from military service. This new policy will only affect those who moved into Estonia after the outbreak of the conflict.
"Under Ukrainian law, single parents, parents with at least three children, parents of children with disabilities, and caregivers of loved ones are also exempt from military service," Ranemets noted. That is, there are multiple criteria that protect a person from being drafted. ”
The Ukrainian military proposes to recruit another 450,000 to 500,000 soldiers.
Zelensky said that this huge scale of military service needs 96.5 billion yuan of financial support.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Zelensky's annual press conference was held in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and the specific time and place are kept secret from the public. Zelenskyy, dressed in military uniform, answered a wide range of questions during the two-hour event.
At the 2023 annual press conference, Zelensky responded to questions about "the Ukrainian military proposing to call up another 450,000 to 500,000 soldiers." He said the figure was "quite large", stressing that conscription was a "very sensitive subject" and noting that more evidence was needed to support the proposal. Zelensky stressed that the implementation of a conscription program of this scale will require huge financial support, with an estimated cost of up to 500 billion hryvnia (about 96.5 billion yuan), which means that every six taxpayers will need to support one soldier. In his answer, he asked a thought-provoking question: "What about the support we will get from another 3 million taxpayers after January next year?"”
According to the statistics department of Ukraine, Ukraine's GDP fell by 29% last year, from 55 trillion hryvnia fell to 38 trillion hryvnia. If this conscription program is implemented, the cost of mobilization will account for about 13% of the country's GDP. Last year, the number of people employed in Ukrainian enterprises fell by 1 million to 5.4 million. If another 500,000 people are mobilized this time, this will lead to another 8 percent reduction in the number of employed people in Ukraine3% to 93%。Zelenskyy's remarks reflect the serious economic and employment challenges facing Ukraine, making the decision more complex and far-reaching.