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After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, many European countries, especially Eastern European countries, paid more attention to the construction of military strength. On the one hand, they purchased new weapons and expanded their armaments and forces. On the other hand, they actively participated inNATOExercises to improve combat readiness.

According to a report by Cankaoxiaoxi.com on the 15th, citing AFP, Poland signed a $10 billion agreement on the 13th to purchase 96 Apache attack helicopters from Boeing of the United States, which is a new upgrade to the country's military capabilities.

However, some Eastern European countries are also facing difficulties in recruiting soldiers as they expand their armaments and troop size. According to Reuters, in the face of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Eastern European countries have been actively recruiting new soldiers and retaining experienced veterans in recent years, but have failed to meet recruitment targets and have difficulty maintaining troop numbers, resulting in insufficient troops, aging of the military, and failure to reach combat readiness.

Like most of the former Soviet states now in NATO, the Czech Republic has failed to meet recruitment targets for years. The latest military data shows that the Czech army met only 56% of its recruitment target in 2021, rising to 85% in 2022.

"We want to deter any potential adversary in the future. If we do not take steps to address the problem of insufficient human resources in the army ... this could mean that we will not be able to maintain peace and deter any potential enemy," said Czech Armed Forces Chief of Staff Reka. "Without people, we can't do anything. If we modernize our equipment and don't have enough capable and motivated people, then the money is wasted," he pointed out.

According to reports, in order to arouse young people's interest in joining the army, the Czech military organized a summer camp for dozens of high school students to participate in a four-week training program in a closed military area 94 kilometers west of the capital Prague to experience military life in advance. Dengka, a student participating in the summer camp, said: "Putting on this military uniform makes me feel proud. With so many things happening in the world today, I am very happy to participate in such a training camp."

The Czech Republic is not alone. Other regions bordering Ukraine, such as Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, are facing the same dilemma. As unemployment rates in Eastern European countries are low and salaries in the private sector are high, convincing young people to enlist has become a major challenge.

"We are facing challenges. This is related to the very competitive labor market here," Major General Karol Dimanowski, first deputy chief of the Polish Armed Forces' General Staff, told the media.

Today, Eastern European governments are using marketing campaigns, increased recruitment bonuses, and lowered entry barriers to attract young people to join the army. A decree from the Czech Ministry of Defense that came into effect on September 1 lowered the medical requirements for professional soldiers, reservists, and recruits. Poland recently launched a recruitment campaign called "Holiday with the Army," which provides 28 days of basic military training for citizens aged 18 to 35. Although the Hungarian military has not yet announced the latest recruitment figures, it has used billboards, advertisements, and a military-themed TV series to be broadcast at the end of the year to attract young people to join the army.

Contrary to the uneasiness of governments, a trend of "dodging conscription" has emerged on social platforms, mainly TikTok. In one video, Ukrainian men vacationing on the beach excitedly talk about how they went abroad to avoid being drafted into the army. Ukrainian officials said that in addition to the "dodging conscription" videos, they have also noticed an increase in the number of "ballads celebrating dodging conscription" and videos of Ukrainian women encouraging men to avoid being drafted.

According to Reuters, Ukrainian officials believe that Russia is behind the dissemination of these videos in order to hinder Ukrainian conscription. Russia has not yet responded to Ukraine's claims.