Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20220402

A29
world news Diasabra 2 aPriL 2022

War in Ukraine fuels fears among draft-age Russian youths

(AP) - As Moscow’s forces bog “I recognized him by his lips, by his
down in Ukraine, many young chin. You know, I would have rec-
Russians of draft age are increas- ognized him by his fingers,” said the
ingly jittery about the prospect woman, who asked to be identified
of being sent into combat. Mak- only by her first name, Lyubov, for
ing those fears particularly acute security reasons. “I breastfed him. I
is an annual spring conscription raised him.”
that began Friday and aims to
round up 134,500 men for a one- The Defense Ministry was forced to
year tour of military duty. walk back its statements and acknowl-
edge that some conscripts were sent
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Ukraine “by mistake” and were
pledged at a meeting of the military taken prisoner while serving with a
brass this week that the new recruits supply unit away from the front.
won’t be sent to front lines or “hot
spots.” There have been allegations that be-
fore the invasion, some conscripts
But the statement was met with were forced to sign military con-
skepticism by many in Russia who tracts that allowed them to be sent
remember the separatist wars in the into combat — duty that is nor-
southern republic of Chechnya in the mally reserved only for volunteers
1990s and early 2000s, when thou- in the army. Some of the captured
sands of poorly trained young men soldiers said they were told by their
were killed. commanding officers that they were
going to a military exercise but sud-
“I don’t trust them when they say they denly found themselves fighting in
won’t send conscripts into combat. Ukraine.
They lie all the time,” said Vladislav,
a 22-year-old who is completing his Lyudmila Narusova, a member of
studies and fears he could face the the upper house of the Russian par- In addition to lowering the medical
draft immediately after graduation. liament, spoke in early March about The Kremlin could eventually face a standard for draftees, there are fears
He asked that his last name not be an entire company of 100 men who choice: Keep fighting with a limited that the government could try to im-
used, fearing reprisals. were forced to sign such contracts number of troops and see the offen- pose some sort of martial law that
and were sent into the combat zone sive stall, or try to replenish the ranks would ban Russian men from leaving
All Russian men aged 18-27 must — and only four survived. Military with a broader draft and risk public the country and, like Ukraine, force
serve one year in the military, but a officials did not comment on her al- outrage that could fuel anti-draft sen- them to fight.
large share avoid the draft for health legation. timent and destabilize the political
reasons or deferments granted to uni- situation. Such a scenario occurred “We have received a lot of calls from
versity students. The share of men Svetlana Agapitova, the human rights during the fighting in Chechnya. people fearing mobilization,” Tabalov
who avoid the draft is particularly big commissioner in St. Petersburg, said said. “People now are afraid of every-
in Moscow and other major cities. Wednesday that relatives of seven sol- Dmitry, a 25-year-old IT expert, has thing in this situation. No one even
diers had written to her to complain a deferment that should keep him thought before about the need to ana-
Even as President Vladimir Putin and the men had been forced to sign the out of the draft for medical reasons. lyze the law on mobilization.”
his officials say that conscripts aren’t contract and sent to Ukraine against But he’s still nervous like many oth-
involved in what Russian authorities their will. She said two of them al- ers, fearing authorities could abruptly The Kremlin has strongly denied any
call “the special military operation ready had been brought back to Rus- waive some deferments to bolster the such plans, and military officials in-
in Ukraine,” many appeared to have sia. military. sist the army has enough contract sol-
been taken prisoner during its initial diers to serve in Ukraine. Still, many
days. Videos emerged from Ukraine In recent years, the Kremlin has em- “I hate the war. I think it’s a total disas- Russians remain skeptical of the offi-
of captured Russians, some being phasized increasing the share of vol- ter,” said Dmitry, who also asked that cials’ denials, given their track record.
shown calling their parents, and were unteer contract soldiers as it sought he not be identified by has last name,
put on social media. to modernize the army and improve fearing reprisals. “I fear that the gov- “What kind of trust could there be
its readiness. The force of 1 million ernment could change the rules and if Putin says one day that conscripts
The mother of one of the prisoners now has over 400,000 contract sol- I could face the draft. They also were will not be sent there ... and then the
said she recognized her 20-year-old diers, including 147,000 in the infan- saying for months that they wouldn’t Defense Ministry recognizes that
draftee son in a video even though he try. If the war drags on, those num- attack Ukraine, so why should I trust they were there?” Tabalov asked.
was shown blindfolded. bers could be insufficient to sustain what they say about the draft now?”
the operations. An existing law allows for a 21-month
Proposed legislation would facilitate alternative civil service in hospitals,
the draft by allowing military recruit- nursing homes and other facilities
ers to call up conscripts more easily, for those who view military duty as
but the bill has been put on hold for incompatible with their beliefs, but
now. military conscription offices often
broadly ignore requests for such ser-
Still, it added to the public’s anxiety. vice.

Alexei Tabalov, a lawyer who advises After the war began, Tabalov said his
conscripts, said medical panels at re- group saw a large increase in inqui-
cruitment offices often admit youths ries about the alternative service law,
who should be exempt from service which is vaguely phrased and allows
because of illness. Now, he add- military officials to easily turn down
ed, their attitudes could grow even applications.
tougher.
“We are worried that in the current
“It’s quite probable that doctors may militarist mood, military conscription
shut their eyes to conscripts’ illness- offices can take a tougher attitude and
es and declare them fit for military reject appeals for the alternative civil
duty,” Tabalov said. service,” he said.