Videos from the weekend show young men being dragged away by uniformed men outside a concert arena in Kyiv. The famous Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy had a concert in the capital and many Ukrainians had made the trip. When the concert was over, the police and representatives from the recruitment center waited outside to check the documents of the male audience members. Several women film while a man resists being arrested, while he screams “get away” to the recruiters from the military. Several women shout “shame on you”, while the man is led away. In April, a requirement was introduced for all men between the ages of 18 and 60. They are obliged to carry a document showing that they are registered at one of the recruitment offices. The document must be able to be shown to the police when they ask for it, writes the Associated Press. But on Friday evening, not everyone had valid papers. It has consequences. The state-owned news agency Ukrinform confirmed on Sunday that those who did not have the correct documentation were arrested. The soldiers also took action against men without papers in several restaurants and shopping centres. Don’t want to go to the front – It’s heartbreaking. Andrii looks out the window. Picture taken in a different context. Photo: Kari Skeie / news Andrii is a young man who lives in the capital Kyiv. He does not have the documents the authorities require, because he does not want to be sent to the war. He thinks it is horrible to see the videos of people like him being arrested. – As a man, I can’t go to the cinema, I can’t go to a bar, I can’t go to other cities, because I have no documents. He says he wants to help his country in the war, but fears he will only end up as dead or disabled if he is sent to the front: Veterans with war injuries from the war sing Ukraine’s national anthem in connection with an event on 13 October. Photo: ANATOLII STEPANOV / AFP – When I was at the supermarket yesterday, I saw more than ten young men in military uniform, several without arms or legs. It was not fun to see these young beautiful men. I want to cry when I see it. It’s horrible. They could have been painters, lawyers, doctors. And now life is over. Tormod Heier, professor at the National Defense College, says there are several reasons for these arrests. – Against a Russian superpower that has a population three times as large, the wear and tear is greatest on Ukraine. You need more soldiers in this war of attrition against Russia, he says to news. Heier also points out that it is important to appear strong in any peace talks with Russia. Professor at the National Defense College Tormod Heier Photo: Aurora Ytreberg Meløe / Aurora Ytreberg Meløe At the same time, the arrests show a trend in the population, according to Heier. – When you have to capture by force those who try to evade this military service, it is a very general expression of a trend in Ukrainian society. The will to fight is not as strong now as it was two and a half years ago. That makes it even more difficult to sacrifice life and health. – There may have been a kind of fatalistic perception spread among increasingly large parts of the young and male population that this war is difficult to win. The fact that the arrests took place outside a concert arena is no coincidence, he believes. – Many young people of a combative age gather there, so the probability of finding someone sneaking away is there. It also probably has a strong signal effect to other young people who think the same. Need people Ukraine has long struggled with the recruitment of soldiers. At the same time as the requirement to have up-to-date documents, the authorities lowered the age for who can be mobilized from 27 to 25. Thus, anyone between the ages of 25 and 60, which is the upper age limit, can be called up for military service. Ukrainian forces at the front. Photo: Reuters The limit on how long soldiers must serve in the war was also removed. In May, the country also opened the door for inmates to apply to enlist and thus be released from prison. The Daily Telegraph writes that analysts assume that as many as 650,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured so far in the war. Official casualty figures have not been released. At the same time, it is estimated that the numbers on the Russian side are three times as high. Update yourself on more of what is happening abroad here: Published 15.10.2024, at 20.56
ttn-69