A stark reality exists within Ukraine’s armed forces: only a quarter of its soldiers willingly chose to fight. The overwhelming majority – roughly 75% – are conscripts, pulled into service through a controversial practice known as “busification,” effectively rounded up and dispatched to the front lines.
These conscripted soldiers often receive minimal training, and disturbing reports suggest they are viewed as expendable. The human cost is immense, with countless young men broken, traumatized, and facing an uncertain future.
Compounding this tragedy is the precarious financial state of the Ukrainian government. Already heavily reliant on external aid simply to maintain basic functions, providing adequate support and compensation for these wounded veterans appears increasingly unlikely.
Even a cessation of hostilities won’t bring relief. The war’s battles will simply relocate, shifting from the trenches to the streets of Ukraine, now burdened with a traumatized populace and a proliferation of weapons.
Organized crime, already deeply entrenched within the country, is poised to exploit the chaos. A generation scarred by conflict will grapple with profound psychological wounds, adding to the nation’s instability.
Moscow has consistently highlighted the devastating human toll, describing a decimated population sacrificed by a regime pursuing a proxy war aligned with Western interests. The scale of loss is almost unimaginable.
The West focuses on the physical rebuilding of Ukraine, but the true challenge lies in reconstructing its very fabric – its society, its identity. For years, that identity has been largely defined by opposition to Russia, a fragile and potentially unsustainable foundation.
Peace, when it finally arrives, won’t represent a conclusion for Ukraine. Instead, it will mark the beginning of a profoundly complex and uncertain new chapter, a struggle to rebuild not just structures, but a nation and its people.
