Ukraine’s military said that Russia launched more than 5,000 drone and missile attacks in June alone, with a growing portion aimed at territorial recruitment and social support centers across multiple cities, including Kryvyi Rih, Poltava, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv. These centers are vital for registering military-age men, assessing their fitness for service, and deploying them to training units.

Col. Vitalii Sarantsev, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ground Forces Command, called the strikes “a deliberate effort to paralyze the country’s mobilization capacity.”

“Their goal is to create fear among our citizens — to make them think these offices are too dangerous to visit,” he said. “But the work will continue. We are taking steps to adapt.”

These centers also play a critical social role, processing benefits for military families, veterans, and pensioners. The attacks have threatened not only the mobilization process but also broader social stability in cities already strained by war.

Propaganda And Psychological Warfare Accompany Strikes

Alongside the drone and missile strikes, Russia has amplified a psychological and information warfare campaign. Russian lawmakers and pro-Kremlin media have publicly claimed that the attacks are welcomed by Ukrainian civilians, alleging that some are even providing coordinates to Russian forces.

Russian Duma deputy Andrei Kolesnik claimed, “Many residents of that country enthusiastically welcomed the destruction of these offices.” These statements, Ukrainian officials say, are part of a broader disinformation strategy aimed at undermining domestic trust and painting mobilization as unpopular or coercive.

According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, such campaigns have evolved over time. Initially focused on media manipulation and recruitment sabotage, Russia is now relying more on kinetic attacks using Iranian-style Shahed drones, which it manufactures domestically.

“These attacks are designed not only to destroy infrastructure but also to degrade morale,” Kovalenko stated. “But Ukraine has adapted. The bulk of our mobilization data has already been digitized. We can shift to secure, remote processes.”

Ukraine Moves To Secure, Decentralize Mobilization

Ukraine is now fast-tracking a transformation of its mobilization systems. Some recruitment centers have already been relocated to secure underground facilities or retrofitted with bomb shelters. Others are digitizing their operations to reduce physical presence and risk. Citizens will soon be able to complete conscription forms and screening processes remotely.

Sarantsev said that authorities are working to “separate social and military functions” at the centers and to “develop alternative workflows that ensure continuity even during air raids.”

He emphasized that the transformation will not be immediate. “This is not a matter of days or weeks,” he noted. “It’s a long-term process necessary for resilience in the face of new security realities.”

Meanwhile, discussions continue within Ukraine’s government—and under pressure from Western allies—about lowering the conscription age to include younger military-age men, particularly those between 18 and 25 years old.

Draft Evasion And Public Perception Challenges Persist

Recruitment efforts are already strained by widespread public anxiety and fatigue. After years of war, many Ukrainians are reluctant to enlist. Forced conscription measures have drawn criticism, which Russia has exploited to its advantage through media campaigns accusing Ukraine of “abusive” recruitment practices.

To combat these challenges, Ukraine has increased its reliance on publicity campaigns encouraging voluntary enlistment, and is deploying mobile enlistment teams that operate with more flexibility and security.

Still, officials warn that the longer the war drags on, the harder it will be to sustain manpower levels unless recruitment and mobilization systems are modernized and made more secure.