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Ukrainian army recruiters use coercion in mobilizing fresh troops, Zelensky acknowledges

General mobilization was announced in Ukraine in February 2022 and has been extended several times since then

MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has acknowledged incidents of the use of force and coercion by military recruiters when handing out call-up orders to men of military age on the streets and in other public places around the country.

"Yes, there are cases when military recruiters walked the streets looking for guys who did not show up at the draft offices," he said in an interview with German TV channel ARD. "Is this the right thing to do? Absolutely not, they should not do that. That's why I asked our military and our lawmakers to consider the issue while preparing this bill [on new mobilization rules]. There should be no chance [for military recruiters] to go out on the streets [and hand out call-up orders] just like that," he pointed out.

General mobilization was announced in Ukraine in February 2022 and has been extended several times since then. The abusive actions of military recruiters have often given rise to scandals, and the rampant, virtually unchecked corruption in local military commissions forced Zelensky to replace all regional military recruiters and conduct a mass inspection. Despite this, videos regularly appear on social networks showing military officers trying to forcefully hand out call-up orders on the streets, on public transportation, or in gyms, and many Ukrainian men, according to media reports, literally shun leaving their homes for months on end to avoid encounters with recruiters.

Similar cases are being reported virtually everywhere in Ukraine. In recent weeks, Odessa media have regularly published videos of incidents involving raids on public transportation by military recruiters. Military officers often face physical resistance from draft age men and vocal criticism from other passengers who witness their abuses.

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