‘It’s emotionally very difficult’: mobilisation squads face hostility as Ukraine tries to boost army ranks

Insults and arguments show the social divisions opened up by recruitment drive and years of war

When Pavlo Pimakhov and Yuriy Pikhota walk through the suburbs of Kyiv, men who spot them approaching from afar often turn on their heels and scurry off. The military uniforms, the police escort and the black folder tucked under Pikhota's arm combine to make the pair immediately recognisable: they are one of the Ukrainian army's mobilisation squads.

These officers roam streets across the country checking the papers of men and handing out military summons, as Ukraine tries to boost the ranks of its army to continue the fight against Russia.