**Russia Steps Up Attacks on Ukrainian Draft Offices**
In a continued effort to disrupt Ukraine’s military recruitment, Russia has launched drone attacks on two draft offices in separate regions of the country. The strikes have injured dozens of civilians and damaged homes and apartment buildings.
The attacks took place in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, both regional capitals, with rescue workers sifting through debris as stunned residents recovered. Mayor Ihor Terekhov described the tactic used by Russian forces as “the enemy’s chosen path”.
This is not an isolated incident. Russia has targeted draft offices in several regions over the past week, including Poltava and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih. The attacks come as Russia advances in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow has made gradual gains in a grinding summer campaign.
Ukraine’s military has struggled to counter Russia’s better-equipped forces on the battlefield. Recruitment centres have been forced to disperse personnel and temporarily suspend work at damaged locations. However, ground forces spokesperson Vitaliy Sarantsev stated that recruitment is still on track.
**Russia’s Information Campaign**
In addition to the drone attacks, Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council warned of a coordinated Russian effort to destabilize the mobilization process through an “information campaign”. This involves spreading false information about draft offices via messaging platforms like Telegram. The Centre for Countering Disinformation stated that this is a deliberate attempt by Russia to sow panic among the population.
**Context and Analysis**
The recent strikes on draft offices are part of a broader pattern of Russian aggression against Ukraine’s military infrastructure. Earlier this year, there were reports of bombings at recruitment centres and arson attacks on military vehicles, which Ukraine’s domestic security service attributed to Russian sabotage.
Russia’s continued targeting of draft offices highlights the difficulties faced by Ukraine in mobilizing its military resources. The resource-strapped Ukrainian army has struggled to fend off a bigger and better-equipped Russian army, where enthusiasm for joining up has been dampened by reports of corruption, poor training, and command issues.
In this context, Russia’s information campaign aimed at destabilizing recruitment efforts appears to be part of a larger strategy to weaken Ukraine’s ability to resist the ongoing conflict. As Ukraine continues to face challenges on multiple fronts, it remains unclear how effective these measures will ultimately prove in preventing Moscow from advancing its military objectives.
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