Thousands dodge Ukraine army in fight with rebels

Olga Rudenko | Special for USA TODAY

Clarification: A previous version of this article did not fully explain Vitaly Chernetsky's view of how Ukrainians in different parts of the country identify themselves.

KIEV, Ukraine — Kostyantyn Kovba never answers calls from unknown numbers on his mobile phone. The 23-year-old is afraid a military commissioner might summon him to serve in Ukraine's army to fight pro-Russian separatists in the east.

When he visits his mother's house, they shutter the windows, lest a commissioner drops by. "We never even barbecue in the yard, because they may see and come over," he said.

Kovba is one of 39,000 Ukrainians who have dodged military service in the first two months of 2015, according to the latest government figures. That's nearly 16% of the total numbers of soldiers supposed to be in the Ukrainian army.

"Serving in the army is a waste of time," said Kovba, who's more interested in building his mobile phone accessories business. "I could spend that time learning something new."

Draft dodgers such as Kovba underscore the national government's difficulty in mobilizing young men to help keep the country united in the face of a potent rebel force better equipped, thanks to Russian weaponry.

One reason is that many civilians feel distanced from the fighting that has consumed two of Ukraine's eastern provinces bordering Russia.

A recent poll by the Kiev-based Razumkov Center found that 41% of Ukrainians said the year-old war didn't affect them even though the insurgents want to cleave off a sizable chunk of the country that is rich in coal and dotted by steel foundries. Their relatives and friends don't serve in the military, they don't live near the fighting, and they don't donate funds to support the troops or Ukrainians displaced by the violence.

Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has been divided between citizens who view themselves as European, dominant in the west and center of the country, and pro-Russian Ukrainians dominant in the east. As a result, some Ukrainians may be reluctant to fight and die to retain eastern regions close to Russia, said Vitaly Chernetsky, an Odessa native and University of Kansas professor who is president of the American Association of Ukrainian Studies.

Those divisions were on display last year. Protesters in Kiev, the capital, forced the ouster of Russian-aligned President Viktor Yanukovych after he used deadly force against demonstrations over his refusal to sign an economic agreement with the European Union. Yanukovych fled to Moscow and was replaced by pro-European President Petro Poroshenko. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine and fostered rebellion in eastern provinces.

Not everyone is embracing the war," Chernetsky said. "Ukraine is a diverse country of many different regions. A sense of a unified Ukraine is emerging, but it is emerging with many fits and starts."

Recently, Poroshenko increased the size of the Ukrainian army from 180,000 to as many as 250,000 troops. His government has not released draft numbers for March and April but says recruiters have reached their quota to bring the army up to full strength.

Since the conflict broke out a year ago, more than 6,000 fighters and civilians have died, including more than 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers. In February, the two sides reached a cease-fire agreement, but sporadic fighting continues. Sixty-five Ukrainian servicemen have died, and 243 have been wounded since the cease-fire took effect, according to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.

Chernetsky said military recruitment problems stem from mismanagement of Ukraine's army over the past two decades. "The problems of corruption and inefficiency are huge," he said. "The institution was crumbling. Most of the army was used as a source for some career senior people in the military to get wealthy."

Kovba admitted he had mixed feelings about shirking the military. "I feel ashamed when I think of the guys who are serving, but then maybe I will be more useful for my country here," he said. "Someone has to build a decent country for the returning soldiers."

Yuriy Biriukov, a military adviser to Poroshenko, criticized men like Kovba this year. "He shouts, 'Glory to Ukraine' and tells everyone how patriotic he is," Biriukov wrote of a fictional draft dodger in a Facebook post. "But he is also a cowardly brute. He hides from the military commission, changes his phone number, packs his stuff and goes to Romania, Hungary or Poland. And sits there, proud of how smart he is."

Kovba and others avoiding military service cite reasons other than cowardice for their actions: too little compensation to families of soldiers who are killed and so little equipment compared with the rebels that citizens must hold fundraisers to provide basic items.

Dodging conscription is a crime, though most found guilty have been given probationary sentences. Last September, however, a court convicted a dodger and sentenced him to prison for two years. In February, Ukrainian authorities arrested a pro-Russian blogger, Ruslan Kotsaba, for calls to boycott a military mobilization. Charged with treason, he faces a maximum 15 years in prison if convicted.

Kovba avoided punishment because his mother told authorities he left Ukraine to work abroad. Under Ukrainian law, he's dodging the draft only if officials personally serve him a subpoena to report for duty.

Oles Shevchenko, 23, a student from Kiev, expects to be called up soon because a military commissioner recently called his parents to warn of an upcoming military subpoena.

Raised in a patriotic family, Shevchenko said he feels a duty to protect his land. "If not me, then who?'" he said. "But at the same time, I'm very scared to die now, before I've accomplished anything in life."

Shevchenko hopes he won't need to choose between joining the army or facing shame for avoiding service. "If only this war ended," he said. "I wouldn't even have to make this choice."

Contributing: John Dyer in New York.