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The remarks reflect mounting concern about a growing exodus of young men. A government decree issued in August allowing men aged 18 to 22 to leave the country has coincided with a sharp increase in Ukrainians seeking protection in EU countries. EU countries granted more than 79,000 new temporary protection decisions to Ukrainians in September, the highest monthly figure in two years, with large increases recorded in Germany and Poland. Vitali Klitschko said the imbalance between Ukraine's human resources and Russia's sheer numbers is becoming more severe. "They [the Russians] have an order, and they advance," he said. "We've defended our country successfully for almost four years, but it's difficult. The courage to fight is still there " that matters greatly." With millions of Ukrainians now abroad, the Kiev mayor said the country's future depends on reversing that outflow once peace returns. "We would be happy if half of the younger people come back," he said. "But for that, we need peace, jobs and a good quality of life. After the war, we face huge challenges." Ukraine and Russia have both been deploying the time-honored practice of press-ganging eligible young men into the military. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) and the two Russo-Finnish Wars (1939-40) and (1941-44), the Japanese and the Finns fought ably and admirably against their much larger enemy, but eventually sought peace as the attrition rate was too costly against an adversary that didn't care about their own casualties, unlike the Finns or the Japanese who did care.

Russian casualties since Feb 2022: 1,154,180 KIA or WIA, including 1,000 over the past 24 hours.