Russians Continues Illegal Conscription Campaign in Ukrainian Temporarily Occupied Territories

17 November, 2024 Russian soldiers, the photo is illustrative. Photo from open sources The Russian occupation forces have begun conscripting young men from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine for military service.

This was reported by the Russian propaganda media RIA Novosti. Young Ukrainians from the temporarily occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, illegally conscripted by the Russian occupiers, arrived in another Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, Crimea. They will reportedly serve in the units of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation.

By conducting a conscription campaign in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russia is grossly violating the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

Russian soldiers, the photo is illustrative. Photo from open sources

According to this Convention, the Occupying Power is prohibited from forcing persons to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces, as well as from exerting pressure and propaganda in favor of voluntary enlistment. It is worth reminding that the first information about conscription in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine after the start of a full-scale war became known in the fall of 2023.

Then it became known that the term of service for illegal conscription was 12 months. In addition, at that time, the Russians reported that young people would be sent from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory to permanent deployment centers in Russia.

Soldiers in the Russian army. Photo from open sources

Also in April 2021, Militarnyi reported that militants from the "DPR" and "LPR" were organizing an illegal conscription.

At that time, they planned to conscript 400 people.

Reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

On October 1, 2024, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong protest against the forced mobilization of Ukrainian citizens into Russian armed groups by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

"We call on the citizens of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories to avoid such a "draft" in every way possible, and on those who will be forcibly enlisted in the army of the aggressor state to leave such units at the earliest opportunity and return to the territory of Ukraine or go to third countries," the statement said.

In case conscripts are involved in the aggression against Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on them to use the "I Want to Live" project and voluntarily lay down their arms to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.