As Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine enters its fourth year, Ukrainian soldiers are still fighting without a break and without a clear end in sight.
President Zelensky recently responded to a question in parliament with a blunt truth: soldiers who’ve been defending Ukraine since 2022 will return home “when we defeat the enemy.” For many troops, that could mean years more at the front, unless something changes.
No Way Out for Ukraine’s Defenders
Ukraine’s current legislation only allows for demobilization after martial law ends. There’s no standard rotation system for those who’ve been serving since the first days of the invasion. Soldiers like Dmytro, who’s been on duty for over three years, say the indefinite deployment is breaking people down mentally and physically.
A proposal to allow discharge after three years of service was scrapped earlier this year at the request of Ukraine’s military leadership. Several draft laws to regulate rotation or discharge during wartime have stalled in parliament, often blocked from even being discussed. Without fresh recruits to relieve them, exhausted soldiers remain trapped in what one called a “hostage situation.”
A Stalled Mobilization Effort
Ukraine is currently mobilizing around 25,000–27,000 troops per month, not nearly enough to rotate out those who’ve been fighting nonstop. Meanwhile, Russia is mobilizing nearly twice that amount, and its summer offensive is grinding forward, particularly in Donetsk and toward Dnipropetrovsk.
Despite attempts to motivate new recruits with benefits and softer policies, Ukraine still struggles to meet manpower demands. Punitive measures for draft evasion were even weakened in the latest mobilization bill, reducing penalties that many argue should be much harsher.
On the Battlefield: A Slow but Dangerous Russian Advance
While Ukraine holds the line, Russia is pressing forward, village by village, across a broad front. Russian troops have adapted, using small infantry groups on motorcycles supported by glide bombs and first-person view (FPV) drones to chip away at Ukrainian defenses.
The eastern city of Pokrovsk has become a major focal point. Russian troops are trying to encircle it, threatening the vital logistics that keep Ukrainian forces resupplied. In neighboring regions like Sumy and Kharkiv, Ukrainian forces face new pressure as Russia probes for weak spots and attempts to stretch Ukraine’s defenses thin.
Even more concerning, Ukrainian analysts report that Russia may be preparing another major push with over 100,000 troops massed near key fronts, according to Ukraine’s military command. These attacks, even if slow and costly, continue to sap Ukraine’s reserves and test the morale of its soldiers.
Why This Matters
Every soldier needs hope and right now, too many Ukrainian troops don’t know if they’ll ever be relieved. The uncertainty is crushing morale and threatening long-term defense capacity.
At the same time, Russia is taking advantage of every delay. Despite U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s vague 50-day “ultimatum” to Russia, a promise of tough sanctions if Moscow doesn’t pull back — Ukrainian experts fear this just gives Putin more time to entrench and gain ground.
Ukraine Needs Support and Clarity
If Ukraine is to win, it needs more than weapons and ammo. It needs a realistic, humane rotation system. It needs to protect the soldiers who’ve given everything since 2022. And it needs continued support from the West to hold the line, not empty ultimatums or political theater.
Until that happens, the burden will remain on those who can least afford it: the exhausted but unbreakable defenders of Ukraine.
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