'Emotionally it's difficult' Mobilisation squads face hostility on streets of Kyiv

When Pavlo Pimakhov and Yuriy Pikhota walk through the suburbs of Kyiv, men who spot them approaching from afar often turn on their heels and scurry off.

- Shaun Walker

The military uniforms, the police escort and the black folder tucked under Pikhota's arm make the pair immediately recognisable: they are one of the Ukrainian army's mobilisation squads.

These officers roam streets across the country, checking the papers of men and handing out military summonses as Ukraine tries to boost the ranks of its army to continue the fight against Russia.

Pimakhov, 36, was a used car salesman before the full-scale invasion in 2022; Pikhota, also 36, was working on a construction site in Israel and rushed back to Ukraine when war broke out.

Both volunteered to fight in the first weeks of the war and were subsequently wounded at the front. Now, while they recuperate, they are working to mobilise new recruits. The Guardian joined the pair on a recent day pacing the streets of Kyiv's Sviatoshyn district.

"I don't judge people who avoid the draft, but I do feel offended," said Pimakhov. "We stood in long queues desperate to volunteer, and these guys are trying everything to evade serving. All the brave people have already volunteered."

Facing a Russian army that has superior numbers and weaponry stocks, and with Ukrainian troops at the front depleted and in need of rotation, the government has been attempting to step up the mobilisation drive. Legislation came into force last month requiring every man aged between 25 and 60 to register their information with the military before a potential call-up.

Pimakhov's bucket hat, Pikhota's wraparound sunglasses and the pair's jovial countenances sometimes give them the feel of a comedy double act, but the consequences of an encounter with them can be life-changingly serious. After registering and passing a medical test, new recruits receive 45 days of basic military training and could be at the frontline within a few months.