The Devastating Impact of War: How Russia's Invasion Has Shattered Ukraine's Young Volunteer Soldiers

Dec 02, 2025 12:05 am CST

This article examines the harrowing experiences of young Ukrainian volunteers aged 18-24 who joined the military to fight against Russian forces. Following eleven recruits from their spring training to battlefield deployment, it reveals the harsh realities they faced: four wounded, three missing in action, two AWOL, one ill, and one dead by suicide. Through personal accounts, particularly that of 20-year-old Pavlo Broshkov, the piece illuminates the physical and psychological toll of combat on Ukraine's youth while highlighting the country's desperate need for fresh military personnel in its ongoing defensive war.