Ukraine military recruiters raid bars, restaurants looking for men not registered for conscription




Ukrainian military recruitment officers raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv, checking military registration documents and detaining men who were not in compliance, media and witnesses reported Saturday.

Officers descended on Kyiv's Palace of Sports venue after a concert Friday night by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy. Video footage aired by local media outlets appears to show officers stationed outside the doors of the concert hall intercepting men as they exit. In the footage, officers appear to be forcibly detaining some men.

Checks were also conducted at Goodwine, an upscale shopping centre, and Avalon, a popular restaurant.

It is unusual for such raids to take place in the capital, and reflects Ukraine's dire need for fresh recruits. All Ukrainian men aged 25-60 are eligible for conscription, and men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country.

A 27-year-old man said he left the concert as the last song was playing after he was told about the recruitment officers. He said he saw soldiers and police talking to people but "didn't see anything super aggressive."

He said men felt in danger of being drafted whenever they ventured outside.

"That inner state of always being in danger, it's back again," he told The Associated Press, only giving his first name for fear of retribution. He said his university draft waiver was taken away after Ukraine passed laws in April that both lowered draft-eligible age for men from 27 to 25 and did away with some draft exemptions.

WATCH | Thousands of men have fled Ukraine  to avoid getting drafted: 

How thousands of Ukrainian men are trying to dodge the draft

Ukraine says it needs 500,000 more soldiers to fight Russia, but thousands of men have fled the country to avoid getting drafted. CBC’s Briar Stewart got rare access to the Moldovan border control unit tasked with catching men sneaking over the border and some of the men who fled.

Local reports said raids were also conducted in clubs and restaurants across other Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Dnipro in eastern and central Ukraine.

Ukraine has intensified its mobilization drive this year. A new law came into effect this spring stipulating that those eligible for military service must input their information into an online system or face penalties.

Ukraine reports strikes on a Russian-run oil terminal

Meanwhile, Ukraine's military said on Saturday that it struck a Russian-controlled oil terminal in the partially occupied Luhansk region that provides fuel for Russia's war effort.

"Oil and oil products were stored at this base, which were supplied, in particular, for the needs of the Russian army," Ukraine's General Staff wrote on Telegram.

Russian state media reported that the terminal close to the city of Rovenky had come under attack from a Ukrainian drone and said there were no casualties and that the fire had been extinguished, but did not comment on the extent of any damage.

On Monday, Ukrainian forces said they struck a major oil terminal on the south coast of the Russia-occupied Crimea Peninsula.

Two men shake hands in front of Ukrainian, German and EU flags.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands before talks in Berlin on Friday. Kyiv has repeatedly asked its Western partners to allow it to use the long-range weapons they provide to hit targets on Russian soil. (Axel Schmidt/Reuters)

Both sides are facing the issue of how to sustain their costly war of attrition — a conflict that started with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and that shows no signs of a resolution.

Ukraine's aim is to impair Russia's ability to support its front-line units, especially in the eastern Donetsk region where the main Russian battlefield effort is stretching weary Ukrainian forces.

Kyiv is still awaiting word from its Western partners on its repeated requests to use the long-range weapons they provide to hit targets on Russian soil.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defence Ministry said 47 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted and destroyed by its air defence systems overnight into Saturday: 17 over the Krasnodar region, 16 over the Sea of Azov, 12 over the Kursk region and two over the Belgorod region, all of which border Ukraine.

Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said Saturday that one person had been killed and 14 wounded in Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks over the previous 24 hours.

In Ukraine, the country's Air Force said air defences had shot down 24 of 28 drones launched overnight against Ukraine.

Zaporizhzhia regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said two women were wounded Saturday in Russian attacks on the capital of the southern Ukrainian region, also called Zaporizhzhia.

A woman walks next to a heavily damaged house.
A woman walks next to a house heavily damaged by a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Saturday. (Reuters)


Source link

Posted: 2024-10-12 22:12:45

Novak Djokovic drops hint he’s shutting down season and skipping ATP Finals | Tennis | Sport
 



... Read More

'One of the best horror movies of the 21st Century' is now streaming | Films | Entertainment
 



... Read More

Baby died after mum shouts 'Why are they not answering the f***ing phone?' | UK | News
 



... Read More

Lewis Hamilton’s replacement confirmed by Mercedes as Max Verstappen saga finally ends | F1 | Sport
 



... Read More

You can be a star baker with this GBBO experience running in September
 



... Read More

German economy weakens; Bronfman drops Paramount bid clearing way for Skydance deal – business live | Business
 



... Read More

PayPal down for thousands of customers as outage causes log in and payment issues
 



... Read More

NWSL reaches new CBA that adds more money for players, ends draft
 



... Read More