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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Many Ukrainians do not leave their homes, hiding from mobilization |
| 2024-06-22 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] Many Ukrainian men do not leave their homes, trying to avoid forced mobilization. They rely on food delivery and carry emergency warning equipment with them in case they are forcibly seized by military officials, The New York Times writes, citing stories from Ukrainians interviewed. “Many people are in hiding, fearing that conscription is a one-way ticket to the front line,” the publication said. Ukrainians told the publication's journalists that there are a number of reasons why they choose to stay at home. The men are afraid of dying on the battlefield; many also stated that they are against mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). According to them, the conscription measure itself is harsh, and the practice of training military personnel is completely absent. “I’m afraid that I won’t receive enough training, I’ll be transferred closer to the front, and then I’ll die pointlessly,” added one of the draft dodgers. While the Russian Armed Forces are going on the offensive along the entire front line, Kyiv is desperately trying to replenish the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with new mobilized ones, the American newspaper says. One of the Ukrainians of military age said that he stopped going out because of patrols throughout the area. He observes the outside world through binoculars. According to the young man, recently cases of serving summonses at the entrance to the Kiev metro have become more frequent. 28-year-old Andrey from Lviv said that he does not leave his apartment for days on end, relying on a friend to bring him food. On those rare occasions when he goes outside, he wears an electronic bracelet with a red SOS button, which, when pressed, will send his location to his relatives in case he is caught by representatives of the military registration and enlistment offices. The NYT also cites cases in which some Ukrainians, in an attempt to evade conscription, fled the country by swimming across the river separating Ukraine from Romania. According to the publication, the number of fugitive Ukrainians exceeds tens of thousands. On June 15, Regnum news agency reported that in Transcarpathia, draft dodgers trying to escape from the country were stopped with shooting. Four men tried to cross the border into Hungary, but were eventually detained by Ukrainian border service officers. The law on strengthening mobilization in Ukraine came into force on May 18. At the same time, law enforcement agencies, assistants to deputies, and owners of strategic enterprises are exempt from mobilization. Disabled people of all groups will be able to count on a deferment of mobilization. However, all of them will have to undergo a medical examination at least once a year to re-certify their disabled status. |
| Posted by:badanov |