Young Russian Men Are Avoiding Military Service
By Matt Pepple, Correspondent - Follow -
Date Published: July 9, 2022 07:45AM UTC
Last Modified: July 9, 2022 07:45AM UTC
RUSSIA - Russian rights groups and legal counselors Prizyvnik legal association, and Release are saying that an increased number of young Russian men are looking to avoid the nation's obligatory military service since the conflict began in February.
Some young men are exiting the country while others are seeking instruction on getting legal absolutions or substitute expressways, or by simply disregarding their legal requests in the hopes that the governing jurisdictions don’t track them.
In Russia, military service conscription is obligatory for young men aged 18-27; and to refuse to comply with those orders could result in fines or up to 2 years in prison. Another downside to avoiding to comply is the resulting constraints with family and friends.
One way to remove oneself from the military register is to fulfill a job offer elsewhere. It should also be noted that many of the men choosing to do this still love Russia very much; they just disagree with the "special military operation."
On the Defense Ministry's website, it says, "service in the army and navy is the honorable duty of a Russian citizen that bestows considerable advantages in the future."
Moscow claims the "special military operation" is going as planned. and Russian President Vladimir Putin says those who fight for Russia are "heroes," who are saving Russian speakers from persecution and foiling what he says is a Western plan to destroy Russia."
Vladimir Putin is counting on his well-qualified army the Western powers say has sustained heavy losses since February 24th, 2022. If this army cannot pledge enough soldiers; Vladimir Putin's only other options would include utilizing draftees, marshaling Russia's consortium; or climbing down the escalatory ladder.
Putin has also said that conscripts should not be sent into battle; in March the Defense Ministry alluded that some already have. In June, a military attorney told the House of Parliament that 600 conscripts have been sent into the discord and a dozen officers had been re-directed.
Ukraine has instituted martial law and men aged 18 to 60 are restricted from abandoning the country. Ukraine has also vowed to "fight to the very end" the "unprovoked" Russian invasion.
Eluding the draft is a well-determined preparation, including reasonable avenues like deferring service by studying and claiming medical exemptions.
Some young men who have been ordered into military service are disregarding the call in the hopes that those in power get exceptional take-up elsewhere, according to Reuters.
- Sources listed in the OSLINT version of this article.
