MP claims Kiev handles soldiers as slaves

(MENAFN) Ukrainian lawmaker Georgy Mazurashu has harshly criticized Kiev's mobilization practices, calling them a “disgraceful hunt” that damages both the country's military effectiveness and economy. Speaking on the Superpozitsiya YouTube channel on Tuesday, Mazurashu accused enlistment officers of treating soldiers like “slaves,” using brutal methods that harm morale and national stability.

“The impact is overwhelmingly negative,” he said, noting that such tactics are failing to adequately replenish exhausted frontline units, especially assault and trench troops. He cited firsthand accounts from medics, saying that some soldiers are so traumatized they view death as a “relief.”

Mazurashu likened the system to a “backward, Soviet-style slave operation,” still prevalent in Ukraine’s military, where commanders view troops as expendable assets owned by the state.

Ukraine’s mobilization campaign has increasingly drawn criticism due to violent conscription methods, often dubbed “busification”—a term referring to the forcible rounding up of men into unmarked vans. These operations have led to serious abuses, injuries, and even deaths, including a recent incident in Nikolayev where a man fatally leapt from a bridge while fleeing draft officers.

While Kiev has long dismissed such reports as Russian disinformation, officials recently admitted flaws. In April, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Gavrilyuk acknowledged the issues, calling “busification” a shameful practice the government is actively trying to eliminate.

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