{"id":13648,"date":"2024-03-30T14:46:22","date_gmt":"2024-03-30T14:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/30\/troop-starved-ukrainian-brigades-turn-to-marketing-to-attract-recruits\/"},"modified":"2024-03-30T14:46:22","modified_gmt":"2024-03-30T14:46:22","slug":"troop-starved-ukrainian-brigades-turn-to-marketing-to-attract-recruits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/30\/troop-starved-ukrainian-brigades-turn-to-marketing-to-attract-recruits\/","title":{"rendered":"Troop-Starved Ukrainian Brigades Turn to Marketing to Attract Recruits"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/03\/20\/world\/00ukraine-recruits-promo\/00ukraine-recruits-facebookJumbo.jpg?fit=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Troop-Starved Ukrainian Brigades Turn to Marketing to Attract Recruits\" title=\"Troop-Starved Ukrainian Brigades Turn to Marketing to Attract Recruits\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Skyscraper-sized billboards show assault troops in battle gear emerging from a ball of flames. On street posters, soldiers urge passers-by to enlist, proclaiming that \u201cvictory is in your hands.\u201d Take a seat on a high-speed train and chances are high that a television will be advertising jobs for drone operators.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Slick recruiting campaigns brimming with nationalist fervor have become ubiquitous in Kyiv, the capital, and other Ukrainian cities in recent months. They are perhaps the most visible sign of a push to replenish Ukrainian troops depleted by more than two years of a brutal war \u2014 an effort that experts and officials say is crucial for fending off <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2024\/03\/02\/world\/europe\/ukraine-defenses-avdiivka.html\" title=\"\">relentless Russian attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But most of the campaigns are not the work of the country\u2019s political and military leadership. They are the initiatives of troop-starved brigades that have taken matters into their own hands, shunning an official mobilization system that they say is dysfunctional, often drafting people who are unfit and unwilling to fight.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThese campaigns are much more effective because we\u2019re getting exactly the people we need,\u201d said Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a combat medic turned recruiter in the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, which started as a paramilitary wing of a coalition of far-right political parties after Russia\u2019s 2014 annexation of Crimea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The battalion, which has now been absorbed into Ukraine\u2019s armed forces, is currently seeking about 500 new members and has advertised jobs as varied as medics, mechanics and sappers, combat engineers who clear minefields. Recruiters conduct lengthy interviews, trying to find positions that match candidates\u2019 skills. People can opt out after a few days of training if they do not like it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt\u2019s like a date,\u201d Mr. Koziatynskyi said in the battalion\u2019s recently opened recruitment office in central Kyiv, which is covered with logos of three wolves baring their fangs. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to explain as much as possible what we are expecting from those people, and what they can expect from us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">That is a big change from the army\u2019s mobilization process, which does not allow people to choose their position. Many Ukrainians fear that, if drafted, they will be sent straight into trench warfare without much training. Critics also say the official recruitment drive is too <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/12\/15\/world\/europe\/ukraine-military-recruitment.html\" title=\"\">aggressive<\/a> and mired in Soviet-style bureaucracy and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/08\/11\/world\/europe\/ukraine-fires-recruitment-chiefs.html\" title=\"\">corruption<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Oleksandr Pavliuk, the commander of Ukraine\u2019s ground forces, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AFULFComm\/posts\/pfbid02f39phUbF8kexKNGAq7apxBEzrMxp5NCnffX6zPMfAL32sn8fNTLkpcreDb8CCPKgl\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">said last Sunday<\/a> that criticism of the official mobilization process was unhelpful to the war effort. \u201cWe are changing, we see our shortcomings and we work every day to become better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A senior Ukrainian military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, said that the brigades were free to run their own recruitment campaigns, but that the army monitored their activities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In a war where soldiers are constantly under fire from drones and shells, the risks of fighting in frontline units like the Da Vinci Wolves remain very high.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But the brigade, like many others, has tried to allay people\u2019s fears of what it means to join a military unit and appeal to their patriotism, using a public-relations campaign that has been far more extensive than the government\u2019s few drab recruiting posters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt\u2019s like a market,\u201d said Myroslav Hai, an officer in charge of civil-military relations in the Ivan Bohun special forces brigade, which has fought on the front lines. \u201cYou must try to find people with marketing methods.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Most of the brigades appear to support their advertising and recruiting activities by crowdsourcing appeals for labor and equipment. The Da Vinci Wolves brigade, for example, said it relied on a network of supporters to design and produce their ads and that its office was provided free of charge by the Kyiv City Council.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The need to replenish the Ukrainian armed forces has been evident for months. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/02\/25\/world\/europe\/ukraine-war-toll-zelensky.html\" title=\"\">31,000 soldiers had been killed in the war<\/a>, a tally that most likely understates the true toll. Military commanders have urged him to increase the number of conscripts to make up for the losses and withstand another year of fierce fighting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/01\/28\/world\/europe\/ukraine-conscription-mobilization-bill.html\" title=\"\">mobilization bill<\/a> that could pave the way for a large-scale draft has been <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/02\/11\/world\/europe\/ukraine-soldier-draft.html\" title=\"\">held up in Parliament<\/a> for months.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Meanwhile, brigade officers have complained that the conscripts recruited by the official system are often too old, in poor health and unmotivated. Alina Mykhailova, an officer in the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, said that of the 200 conscripts the brigade had received, only 25 showed a desire to fight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cOur task is to recruit volunteers faster, so that we get fewer of those people who are absolutely unmotivated,\u201d Ms. Mykhailova said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The unit\u2019s <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/davinciwolves\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram page<\/a>, followed by nearly 50,000 people, has been a key driver of that effort. In recent weeks, the Da Vinci Wolves have posted several videos explaining the work of <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C3hXsmJoKGT\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sappers<\/a> and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C3VP7OWoEs5\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">drone operators<\/a>, or featuring <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/CyqEg9jo8j0\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">soldiers preparing for a ground assault<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">A large poster of a former commander, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/03\/10\/world\/europe\/da-vinci-funeral-ukraine.html\" title=\"\">Dmytro Kotsiubailo<\/a>, who received a state funeral after being killed in fighting last year, hangs in the office alongside pictures of battalion members in civilian and military dress, suggesting that anyone can become a soldier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Sitting at a desk, Evhenii Hryhoriev, a recruiter, asked Oleg Greshko, a thin 20-year-old with a small goatee, who walked into the battalion\u2019s recruitment office on a recent afternoon, what he wanted to do. \u201cInfantry,\u201d Mr. Greshko replied quickly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Another recruit, Maryna Kovalenko, who has been training with the battalion and plans to work as a clerk, said she had been drawn by the unit\u2019s individualized approach. \u201cHere, you have the opportunity to choose what suits you best and talk about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Many brigades have adopted this approach, mindful that as the war drags on people want to \u201cchoose and control their future in the army,\u201d said Vladyslav Greziev, the head of Lobby X, one of Ukraine\u2019s largest online recruitment platforms, which has created a special section for military jobs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Greziev said that some 500 army units had posted jobs on the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/lobbyx.army\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">platform<\/a>, with around 3,200 open positions and nearly 80,000 applications received. Candidates are invited to find a position that fits them by clicking on thematic hashtags that narrow down the search.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Brigades advertise many noncombat roles, such as a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/lobbyx.army\/tor\/kukhar-do-hur\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">cook for military intelligence<\/a> and a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/lobbyx.army\/tor\/dyzayner-do-batalyonu-udarnykh-bpak-akhilles-92-oshbr\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">digital designer in an assault brigade<\/a>, and have also promised good equipment and better training than conscripts receive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Koziatynskyi, from the Da Vinci Wolves, said that \u201cthere is some competition\u201d between units to attract the best recruits. He said that the Third Assault Brigade, a branch of Ukraine\u2019s special forces, was \u201cwinning for now,\u201d partly thanks to its strong presence on social media.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The brigade\u2019s recruitment posters are hard to miss on the streets of Kyiv. They feature Ukrainian assault troops facing zombielike soldiers supposed to be Russians against a sunset backdrop. \u201cFight,\u201d the posters read in large orange letters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The unit has also tried to bridge the gap between civilians and military personnel, holding war games every few months with guns that shoot plastic projectiles outside Kyiv, where the public can mingle with brigade reservists and instructors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Semen Gagarin, a 33-year-old manager at a honey-producing company, said he did not think the campaign would change the minds of <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/08\/18\/world\/europe\/ukraine-conscientious-objectors.html\" title=\"\">those who refuse to serve<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But he acknowledged, standing by a recruitment poster in central Kyiv, that \u201cit puts more pressure on everyone\u201d and can convince people who have been hesitant about enlisting. Several friends at his gym have decided to join the Third Assault Brigade, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThis is our chance to get motivated people,\u201d Mr. Koziatynskyi said. \u201cEveryone wants them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skyscraper-sized billboards show assault troops in battle gear emerging from a ball of flames. On street posters, soldiers urge passers-by to enlist, proclaiming that \u201cvictory is in your hands.\u201d Take a seat on a high-speed train and chances are high that a television will be advertising jobs for drone operators. Slick recruiting campaigns brimming with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/03\/20\/world\/00ukraine-recruits-promo\/00ukraine-recruits-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19149,19148,733,15354,19147,987,9292],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13648"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13648"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13650,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13648\/revisions\/13650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}