Ukraine drafting schizophrenics – media

The military’s medical commission is a mere “formality” in many cases, a recruitment officer has told an investigative outlet

The Ukrainian military is enlisting men diagnosed with schizophrenia amid the struggling mobilization campaign, a recruitment office employee has told local media.  

Individuals diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and deemed permanently disabled are being sent to the army without much deliberation, the outlet Slidstvo.info reported on Friday, citing a Ukrainian recruitment office employee. The Ukrainian outlet describes itself as team of independent investigative journalists.   

The employee, who identified himself as Vladimir, recalled the case of a man with schizophrenia being mobilized after passing a military medical commission. He explained that many potential conscripts who don’t have the necessary papers, or who have been put on a wanted list, undergo a medical examination in a “maximally simplified manner.” “The commission is a formality,” he claimed.  

Those diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia can suffer from delusions and hallucinations and struggle with impulse control and judgment, which could lead them to shoot civilians or fellow soldiers. Schizophrenics are also more susceptible to high-stress situations, resulting in an increased likelihood of suicide in dire circumstances.  

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The result of a medical examination can be ready in as little as half a day and a potential recruit can be ordered to report for duty as early as the same evening, according to Vladimir. He noted that a person’s fitness for service is determined automatically by a Telegram bot, which checks existing diagnoses against a list of inadmissible illnesses.  

The practice is reportedly relatively widespread. An unnamed frontline officer told the outlet that his unit had been sent not only individuals with psychiatric conditions but also those suffering from alcohol and other substance addictions.  

Ukraine announced a general mobilization in February 2022 after escalation of the conflict with Russia. Last year, it significantly tightened the mobilization regulations and lowered the conscription age from 27 to 25.  

However, the mobilization has been marred by widespread draft evasion and bribery, while many have attempted to flee the country, even at significant risk to their lives. To deal with the growing manpower problems, Ukrainian recruiters frequently conduct raids in public places, often resulting in violent clashes.