LUGANSK, February 1. /TASS/. The Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) is ready to grant asylum to refugees from Ukraine fleeing forced mobilization by the Ukrainian army conducted on territories controlled by the Kiev regime, LPR Human Rights Commissioner Viktoriya Serdyukova said at a briefing.

"Kiev is planning to additionally call up half a million people. The measures for replenishing the ranks of the Ukrainian army have become coercive and violent. Additionally, the Ukrainian authorities have appealed to European countries, asking them to deport Ukrainians located there to meet the target figures for the mobilization drive. I believe that not only can we grant political asylum [to Ukrainians fleeing forced conscription], but that this is already happening," Serdyukova said.

The ombudswoman also added that in the LPR, just as anywhere in Russia, the observance of human rights and freedoms is guaranteed. Discrimination and persecution along ethnic lines are absolutely out of the question.

"We have a lot of people here with Ukrainian passports. They are not subject to deportation if they have not violated any laws. If they want to obtain Russian citizenship, there are no barriers," she stressed.

A general mobilization was announced in Ukraine in February 2022 and has been extended several times since then, with the authorities doing everything possible so that draft age men cannot evade military service. In particular, Ukrainian men are prohibited from traveling abroad and call-up orders are being handed out at government offices when people seek public services, as well as on the streets and at any place where large numbers of people gather.

Mobilization has already resulted in numerous scandals and sharp divisions in society. While military recruiters frequently use coercion and force, and even those unfit for military service end up being called up, many lawmakers and public officials dodge conscription by secreting their draft age sons abroad to avoid being sent to fight. Nevertheless, in December 2023, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that the military command had submitted a request to call up another 500,000 people. Following this, the government began working on a draft bill to institute new, more draconian mobilization rules.