Kiev touts dating prospects to lure men into military
A Ukrainian military campaign targeting young men has claimed that signing a contract with the army would improve their dating lives.
Since February, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has been offering enrollment incentives to men aged 18 to 24 who are not subject to compulsory conscription. Chief among these is compensation of 1 million hryvnia ($24,000) for one year of service. The ministry has also released several videos showcasing how this windfall could supposedly enhance recruits’ lifestyles.
A clip released on Wednesday on the ministry’s TikTok channel suggests that the money could significantly improve the dating prospects of those who complete their service. It features several young women discussing their expectations regarding a partner’s income.
”That would be between 100,000 and 150,000 hryvnia ($2,400 to $3,600) per month – enough to live in Kiev, rent an apartment, and dine out,” one woman explained. The interviewer then turns to the camera, proposing that signing a contract with the Defense Ministry could enable young men to earn this kind of money. Earlier advertisements in the series have stated that a year of military service could equate to 15,625 cheeseburgers or 185 years of Netflix subscriptions.
This week, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky announced plans to expand the recruitment program, allowing both the National Guard and Border Guard to seek enlistees.
Kiev faces challenges in replacing military casualties through mandatory conscription despite last year’s significant system overhaul. Evasion remains prevalent, with draft officers resorting to harsh measures to meet their quotas.
Human rights ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets acknowledged on Wednesday that abuses – including beatings and unlawful detentions – have become “systematic and mass in nature” and demand urgent state intervention.
