Conscription squads send Ukrainian men into hiding | BBC News

Ukraine is facing one of its most perilous chapters since the start of Russia’s fullscale Invasion with moscow’s offensive getting ever more intense the Ukrainian Army desperately needs to enlist more troops but more than two years into the war is struggling to find willing volunteers our correspondent Jee McKenzie reports from the city of Odessa at s wedding it wasn’t just the weather that didn’t go to plan half of the guests didn’t show up going out in public is now too risky for men who don’t want to enlist but the bride Tanya understands why her friends and family don’t want to fight her father was killed on the front line are you afraid that you might be caught and sent yes I’m afraid I also afraid of course I afraid too and don’t want it it happen twice in my family public transport has become a noggo for those trying to avoid the draft conscription officers have a fearsome reputation for dragging people off buses and taking them to conscription centers these officers are on the hunt for draft Dodgers it’s hard to find willing soldiers these days so now it’s the law for men to register so they can be called up are you part of the problem because people are hiding from you they’re scared of you look some people react aggressively towards us others run away from us this happens often I don’t think these people have been well brought up these guys are having a pretty difficult time finding people who are eligible to serve and they do accept that some people are hiding from them but they are urging men to come forward because they say everybody has to play their part in defending this country Behind These Walls men are hiding at the very moment the Ukrainian Army needs them the most Russia with its Superior Manpower is on the offensive this is B he won’t leave the house without checking these social media groups which tell him where the offices are I don’t walk outside at all now unless I’m with my daughter because they don’t take people with their children the Ukrainian Army says that it needs people like you to fight if it is to win this war I’m not a military person I’ve never held a weapon I don’t think I’d be useful on the front line but I know if I get drafted this is where where I’ll be [Music] sent these men who are hiding I don’t consider them men what are they waiting for Vlad was badly injured serving on the front line if we run out of men the enemy will come to their homes they will rape their women and kill their children recruitment posters line the streets of adessa the message together to Victory but Ukraine is now divided between those who are prepared to fight and those who would rather run or hide Gan McKenzie BBC News Odessa

It’s been more than two years since Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces and now Moscow’s offensive is getting ever more intense.

With many of its soldiers dead, injured or exhausted, the Ukrainian government has stepped up its efforts to mobilise more men.

A new law, introduced in May, requires every man aged between 25 and 60 to log their details on an electronic database so they can be called up.

Conscription officers are on the hunt for those avoiding the register, pushing more men who do not want to serve into hiding.

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23 comments

  1. BBC why now? Why you telling the truth now? This is terrible. I was so happy in my dream of the good western world winning. Now I see we are evil and losing! Going to have to vote Reform now.

  2. In the end, this was all for a 70 year old Washington wet dream and a personal obsession for dinosaurs like President Ice Cream and a whole country has been destroyed for the most avoidable war I know of. Anyone with a basic school level understanding of history has or will figure this out.

  9. But Ukraine aren’t taking casualties are they? And a conscripted army is not that effective, plus it’s all the usual propaganda about rape and atrocities about the other side, which sounds a lot like the First World War spiel.

  10. The truth of the matter is half of them are Russian speaking and do not agree with you train your government ever since the west took over their country it's nato's war everybody else knows it is the west fighting the Russians but you're not even fighting the Russian elite forces yet just volunteers NATO is blowing smoke up your behind

  13. The same thing is happening in Russia. A guy I know – a Swede, who was visiting a provincial town – was stopped by the police and asked why he was not in the army. So the press gang is alive and well.

  14. You can sadly see it online. 3 years back on an MMO there was lots of Ukraine players I would have a laugh with. Aged from 18 to mid twenties. they are not online anymore. Either infrasture gone , displaced, or forced to fight . Zelensky has blood on his hands

  19. We used to call this being taken by the Press Gang. Strange when the Media keeps telling us they are winning. And it goes to show that not everyone wants to fight

  23. Let those men runnig or dodging the conscription be reminded that they're goibg to be sent to the front line to fight against an army that is poorly led, poorly equipped, poorly trained, poorly fed, lack morale and use shovels…infact at the mere sight of Wsstern weapons the Russians run in dissarray…its that simple…unless something has changed on the frontline

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