Fear of mobilization. “I’ll shoot everyone and be a prisoner” – o2

After announcing the mobilization in September, the possibility Significantly increased recruitment of men of Ukrainian origin into the army in the regions annexed by Russia.

Several residents told Kyiv Independent reporters about how to avoid conscription from areas at risk of mobilization. For security reasons, journalists do not disclose any data to their interlocutors, but also change their names.

They want to send me to fight against the Ukrainians, and against my people. I will not shoot them. If they take me [na front]Then I will shoot the Russians and surrender to the Ukrainian soldiers. I wouldn’t want them to remember me [jako jeńca wojennego] One of the men tells reporters.

He admits that he now regrets that he voluntarily accepted the Russian passport last year After moving to Novosibirsk. He moved from Donetsk, where there were no prospects for this.

Another person interviewed lives permanently in DonetskYu, who was reached by the journalists, has been in hiding for eight months for fear of being drafted into the Russian army. The third guest plans to solve this problem by offering a bribe to doctors who consider him unfit for military service.

Partial mobilization began on September 21 by decree of Vladimir Putin. The media reported that 300,000 reservists would be drafted into the army. On October 28, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported that the mobilization had been successfully completed, but that the Russian President had not signed the relevant documents that would formally end the mobilization.