The New York Times reports that thousands of Ukrainian men have gone into hiding to avoid conscription.
The men spend their days holed up at home to avoid draft officers who roam the streets.
“They’re everywhere now,” said Vladyslav, 45, who, like other Ukrainians in hiding interviewed for this article, requested that his last name not be published. “I’ll try to avoid getting caught,” he said, “but I’m not sure it’s possible.”
Now, as officers scour the country’s cities to draft men of military age, currently 25 to 60, many people like Vladyslav have gone into hiding, fearful that conscription is a one-way ticket to the front line.
“I’m afraid I won’t get enough training and then I’ll be moved closer to the front and then I’ll die senselessly,” said a 28-year-old web designer.
Andrii, another 28-year-old web designer from Lviv, described himself as “a bit paranoid.” He goes days without leaving his apartment, relying on a friend to deliver him food.
In Kyiv, a group with more than 200,000 members uses colors like green to signal the presence of draft officers and warns of the risk of being stopped as sunny, cloudy and stormy.
Also from the NY Times:
Europe
Russia, seeking a bigger army, moves to raise the top age for military service.
If the full Parliament approves the bill, Russian men as old as 30 will be subject to the country’s mandatory year of military service.
By Ivan Nechepurenko
PRINT EDITION Russia Moves to Raise Top Age for Conscripts|July 26, 2023, Page A10
