Ukraine is struggling to overhaul mobilization and broaden recruitment as the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches. The high-profile Da Vinci Wolves Battalion are taking matters into their own hands to bolster their ranks.

Lviv

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine army unit launches recruitment drive

In the offices of Ukraine's Da Vinci Wolves battalion, interviews are underway. As the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches, Ukraine's ranks are wearing thin and the country is struggling to broaden recruitment. And a year after the Da Vinci Wolves' founding member was killed fighting Russian forces, the unit want to strengthen their own ranks, so are taking matters into their own hands. The battalion is named after Dimitro Da Vinci Kochubailo and, as he was awarded the Hero of Ukraine in 2021, they're relying on a strong public image to attract new recruits. Here's Da Vinci Wolves' commander Serhii Filimonov. We have one or two people doing public relations in the battalion, along with military personnel that carry weight in society, due to people having been public activists, having starred in the movies, having had artistic roles, they had weight in society. Thanks to this, we're able to communicate what we want through the internet. Also, it's worth mentioning our commander. He was the first volunteer that was awarded a Hero of Ukraine. His name has a lot of influence. They also want to show Ukrainians that it's possible to choose where they serve and with whom, part of a broader official effort to boost military enlistment. We want to take people that weren't just taken on the street or who received a draft notice and were forced to go to the army. We're looking particularly for people who want to fight, want to join our unit and understand what they're headed for and want to join our pack. Ukraine failed to make significant gains in a counter-offensive launched last June and faces Russian assaults along much of the front line. The mobilisation drive has been complicated by allegations of corruption, as well as frequent media reports of heavy-handed draft officers barging into homes or pulling men off buses. Parliament is even considering a bill that would lower the draft age to 25 from 27 and toughen punishment for evasion. For the Da Vinci Wolves, the drive has been a big success. According to their commander, they're seeing around 500 new members and have received more than 1,000 applications.

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Ukraine Invasion