2022-04-01T17:52:00+03:00 Politics 2024-05-15T06:04:56+03:00

Ukrainian news

Ukraine Protesting Against Conscription And Mobilization By Russia Of Ukrainians In Crimea And Donbas

Ukraine Protesting Against Conscription And Mobilization By Russia Of Ukrainians In Crimea And Donbas

Ukraine is protesting against the conscription of Ukrainians by Russia for military service and mobilization in Crimea and the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas, including after February 24.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine protests in connection with the conscription by the Russian Federation for military service in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as the mobilization of Ukrainian citizens living in the temporarily occupied territories. From April 1 to July 15, 2022, another spring conscription campaign, which the occupying state, in violation of international humanitarian law, will also conduct in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, is carried out," the statement says.

It notes that since 2014, the Russian occupation administration has already conscripted about 34,000 residents of Crimea to serve in the Russian Armed Forces, some of whom were forcibly involved in hostilities against Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs draws attention to the fact that against the backdrop of the ongoing war with Ukraine, Russia has increased the number of people who will be conscripted as part of the spring conscription campaign.

The ministry also notes that Russia’s forcible mobilization of the population of the parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions not controlled by the government of Ukraine, as well as the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by it after February 24 and forcing Ukrainian citizens to fight against their own state on the side of Russia, is also a war crime.

In preparation for an attack on Ukraine, Russia began the so-called general mobilization in the territories not controlled by the government of Ukraine on February 19 and subsequently increased the age limit, which now stands at 18-65 years, to increase the number of mobilized.

Russia forcibly sends mobilized Ukrainians to the war zone without contact with their relatives.

"We consider it particularly cynicism that Russia mobilizes citizens of Ukraine who are leaving the war zone through humanitarian corridors," the statement says.

The Foreign Ministry notes that with such illegal actions, the Kremlin regime is trying to compensate for the unprecedented losses suffered by the Russian invaders during the armed invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities feel an urgent need to replenish the ranks of conscripts and mobilized for combat operations on the territory of Ukraine.

The ministry emphasizes that, under international humanitarian law, an occupying state is prohibited from forcing protected persons to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces, as well as exerting pressure and propaganda in favor of voluntary entry into the army.

The statement notes that despite the published facts about captured and killed citizens of Ukraine from the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, as well as certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, information about their participation in the war against Ukraine is carefully concealed and denied by the Russian authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs demands that Russia cancel the illegal conscription of Ukrainians for military service in Crimea and stop the mobilization of the population of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, eliminate all the consequences caused by this, and ensure strict compliance with its international obligations as an occupying state.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also calls on the international community to condemn these actions of Russia, to demand the withdrawal of its forces and means from the territory of Ukraine and to demonstrate a constructive position in the negotiations in order to restore peace as soon as possible.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, on April 1, mobilization under the BARS-2021 program (Combat Army Reserve of the Country) begins throughout Russia simultaneously with the planned conscription for urgent military service in order to hide a large number of mobilized.