Ukrainian military recruitment officers raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv, checking military registration documents and detaining men who were not in compliance, media and witnesses reported Saturday.

Officers descended on Kyiv’s Palace of Sports venue after a concert Friday night by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy. Video footage aired by local media outlets appears to show officers stationed outside the doors of the concert hall intercepting men as they exit. In the footage, officers appear to be forcibly detaining some men.

Checks were also conducted at Goodwine, an upscale shopping center, and Avalon, a popular restaurant.

It is unusual for such raids to take place in the capital, and reflects Ukraine’s dire need for fresh recruits. All Ukrainian men aged 25-60 are eligible for conscription, and men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country.

  • whome@discuss.tchncs.de
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    1 month ago

    I always wondered how you could go about this? Could you try to become a firefighter, medic or some other essential job to keep you safe?

    • Skua@kbin.earth
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      1 month ago

      I don’t know how it works in Ukraine today, but historically yes. You often don’t need to be underhanded about it either. In Britain during both world wars, as an example, conscientious objectors were actually organised into a non-combat corps that would take on important roles exactly like the ones you suggested.

  • riodoro1@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Hey, there’s plenty well trained and professional soldiers in nato countries. Maybe leave those poor teens aline and send the guys who wanted to do this.

    • Laser@feddit.org
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      1 month ago

      Just that Ukraine isn’t a NATO member so there’s no way to trigger article 5

      And believe it or not, not many people want to fight in Ukraine, and not many countries want to send their people to fight there

    • Nythos@sh.itjust.works
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      1 month ago

      False equivalence.

      A fight for a countries survival is not the same as slavery because they’re enforcing a draft, even as terrible as the draft may be.

      • Starbuncle@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        The condition in which one person is owned as property by another and is under the owner’s control, especially in involuntary servitude.

        It doesn’t say anything about about a military draft exception. All drafts are slavery. It doesn’t matter how noble the people enforcing it think their cause is.

        • qarbone@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Soldiers, conscripted or volunteer, aren’t owned as property though. Although I’m sure we’ll have ‘discourse’ about that. They aren’t bought, sold, or traded for goods and services.

          • Starbuncle@lemmy.ca
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            1 month ago

            They functionally are. They are compelled to comply under the threat of violence.

        • Ostrakon@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Sorry but if your country is literally being invaded by hostile forces and your own country’s government didn’t commit some heinous act to invite said invasion (genocide, or retribution for their own invasion), you are a hopeless coward trying to dodge that draft. We’re not talking about fucking Vietnam.

          • Starbuncle@lemmy.ca
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            1 month ago

            Do you feel the same way about women not volunteering themselves since they don’t have a draft?

            • barsoap@lemm.ee
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              1 month ago

              Dunno how the situation is in Ukraine but in Germany it’s actually stricter for women: Men can refuse service at arms, while women can’t refuse medical service.

              In any case not getting drafted usually is as simple as finding something else to do that’s helping the war effort. Hold the home front.

              • Starbuncle@lemmy.ca
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                1 month ago

                My understanding of the situation in Ukraine is that women are free to do as they please and men are now property of the Ukrainian government.

            • Ostrakon@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              Yes, I do. If they’re not or can’t volunteer to be part of the military there are other ways they can contribute to national defense. See: WW2

              • Starbuncle@lemmy.ca
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                1 month ago

                I think we have misaligned values (you seem to put less value in individual rights), but I can respect your consistency.

          • TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            Why? Why would I die for a piece of land, I don’t give a shit where I was born I value my life more than that, I’m not dying for some politician ego trip. You can go right ahead of you want

            • barsoap@lemm.ee
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              1 month ago

              Why would I die for a piece of land,

              Ukraine doesn’t fight for land, they fight to not get genocided. It’s the Russian side which has the politician on an ego trip.

              And you, out of your comfortable armchair, cannot predict how you’d react in the same situation. There’s instinctive forces at play in such situations.