Yes, Ukraine has to make some shitty decisions because they are facing an existential threat from a hostile, much larger nuclear-armed neighbor currently occupying a quarter of their country and engaged in a brutal and relentless hybrid war against their government, culture, and civilians.

None of that is in dispute.

If you're angry that Ukraine is unfairly conscripting Ukrainians and those Ukrainians are then getting killed on the front lines, and I think we should be, because it's true it is very unfair: direct your anger at Russia, who is directly at fault for all of this unfairness and for the fact that front lines exist where these conscripts are getting killed.

Why the double standard? We accurately call out Russia for sending their conscripts to a meat grinder, but saying the same about Ukraine is off limits?

Russia is at fault for starting the war, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And Ukraine has the right to defend its sovereignty and conscripting is one of those tools, but necessity of it doesn't negate the harm that causes and people are allowed to criticize that state action.

And to be fair, they are actively trying to reduce those casualties by replacing people with robots on the frontlines.