Ukraine gets investigated for helping individuals evade military conscription
Date
12/14/2024 11:55:15 AM
(MENAFN) In 2024, more than 300 people in Ukraine have been investigated for helping individuals evade military conscription, according to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) in Kiev. The Ukrainian government lowered the draft age to 25 this spring to address battlefield losses in its ongoing conflict with Russia, and calls from Western allies have pushed for further reducing the age to 18. The SBI has initiated 287 criminal cases related to the illegal smuggling of draft dodgers across borders.
The agency reported that over 11 million hryvnia ($264,700) in bribes were paid, although the actual total is likely higher. The majority of those involved are medical and draft board officials, as well as law enforcement officers who use fake medical diagnoses to exempt individuals from conscription. Recently, officials have also begun accepting bribes at border checkpoints and facilitating sham marriages and personal escort services to help draft dodgers.
The SBI's report only addresses those implicated in smuggling, while desertion charges have also spiked, with around 60,000 people charged between January and October 2024—more than double the previous two years combined. A new mobilization law requires Ukrainians aged 18-60 to carry their draft cards, though those under 25 are still exempt from service. While U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has advocated for lowering the draft age to 18, Ukrainian President Zelensky rejected this, stressing the need to focus on equipping and training current troops rather than increasing conscription numbers. Ukraine’s increased demand for soldiers has also led to reports of forced conscription, with violent resistance to the draft resulting in attacks on conscription vehicles.
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