Putin says Ukraine fetching men ‘like dogs on the street’

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has sharply criticized Ukraine’s mobilization efforts, accusing its authorities of rounding up men in the streets “like dogs.” Speaking at a meeting with members of ‘Business Russia’ on Tuesday, Putin contrasted Ukraine’s coercive recruitment practices with Russia’s voluntary enlistment surge.

According to Putin, around 50,000 to 60,000 Russians are signing up to fight each month, while Ukraine is forcibly conscripting approximately 30,000 men. He claimed that Ukrainian recruitment teams are aggressively detaining men in public areas to fill military ranks.

Following the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, Ukraine imposed a general mobilization, restricting most men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. The draft age was later reduced to 25 amid increasing battlefield casualties. Authorities also introduced harsher penalties for evasion and streamlined the recruitment process.

Videos have surfaced online showing Ukrainian officials violently apprehending draft-age men, often with the aid of police. These incidents have become so common they are mockingly referred to as “busification,” referring to the practice of cramming recruits into minibuses during street roundups.

Although Ukrainian officials dismiss such reports as misinformation, Lt. Gen. Ivan Gavrilyuk from the Defense Ministry acknowledged last month that mobilization efforts have faced challenges. He called the “busification” incidents disgraceful and said the government is working to stop them.

To encourage voluntary enlistment, Ukraine has launched a recruitment campaign targeting men aged 18 to 24 who are not subject to mandatory service. The initiative offers a one million hryvnia ($24,000) bonus for a year of service and promotes this incentive through youth-focused ads featuring relatable themes like fast food and in-game currencies.

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