(MENAFN) Since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, at least 650,000 Ukrainian men of fighting age have fled the country, The Telegraph reports. Many others are hiding or bribing officials to avoid conscription, as the military struggles with its most severe manpower shortages yet.

Draft evasion has intensified amid Russian advances in Donetsk, with the general mobilization for men aged 25 to 60 failing to offset ongoing battlefield losses. Ukrainian officials warn of rising desertions, with nearly 400,000 servicemen abandoning their units, including volunteers unwilling to return due to mistreatment by superiors.

Military analyst Konrad Muzyka cited infantry shortages and declining drone effectiveness as signs that Ukraine is “visibly losing the war.” Even support personnel like mechanics and radar operators are being reassigned to front-line infantry roles.

Public anger has grown over reports of draft officers using force and violence—sometimes assaulting civilians—to conscript men, a practice now nicknamed “busification.” Many potential recruits have attempted perilous escapes from Ukraine, with some intercepted by border guards, occasionally using firearms, resulting in dangerous or fatal consequences.

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