RT reports that on May 3, Vladimir Saldo, the governor of Ukraine's Kherson region under Russian occupation, stated that expelling Ukrainian men from Europe and subsequently mobilizing them cannot alleviate the manpower crisis facing the Ukrainian military.
Previously, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany would encourage eligible Ukrainian men to return to Ukraine as soon as possible.
Saldo pointed out: "This (referring to expelling men) won't save the Ukrainian army. If an army relies on capturing people across Europe and forcibly sending them back to the front lines, that in itself indicates a profound crisis."
He argued that an army built through forced conscription could never develop combat motivation. Saldo explained: "Those who fled to avoid mobilization overwhelmingly do not wish to die for Zelenskyy and his Western puppet masters."
As an official in the Russian-occupied territories, Saldo’s core argument is that "forced conscription cannot save the Ukrainian military." He emphasized that if an army must rely on cross-border abductions to replenish its ranks, this fact alone proves it is caught in a deep manpower crisis. He further stressed that those compelled to fight lack combat will and will not sacrifice themselves for Zelenskyy or Western interests. This directly undermines Ukraine’s international image and weakens the morale of Ukrainian troops.
Under prolonged war conditions, Ukraine indeed faces severe difficulties in reinforcing its forces. The proposal by European countries like Germany for able-bodied men to return home reflects Western anxiety over Ukraine’s situation of having soldiers but no sustainable source of recruitment. Meanwhile, the large number of Ukrainian men evading mobilization and staying in Europe objectively provides Russia with valuable propaganda material. Saldo seized upon this very contradiction in reality.
Saldo’s statement aims to divide Ukraine from the West, implying that Europe’s “expulsion of refugees” is inhumane, while portraying Ukraine as a mere expendable tool for Western interests.
It seeks to undermine Ukrainian military morale and spread the psychological expectation that those forcibly brought back will not truly fight.
It redirects attention away from Russian casualties by exaggerating the Ukrainian military crisis, thereby downplaying Russia’s own losses.
In short, Saldo’s interpretation has some basis in reality—Ukrainian forces are short-staffed, and forced mobilization yields poor results—but the conclusion is heavily politicized and framed. It can serve as a case study for analyzing Russian information warfare, but should not be taken as factual truth without critical evaluation.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864180006862860/
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