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 center, 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.
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.
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.
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 Defense Ministry said 47 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted and destroyed by its air defense 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 defenses 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.
© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
31 Comments
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TaiwanIsNotChina
Free Ukraine is in a fight for its survival. Whatever measures are needed to defeat the terrorists are justified.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Also important to note that Putin has emptied his prisons for the war.
Primusinter
One of the Ukrainian sources reported that 50 young men were detained after the concert.
The next concert will take place in the empty hall.
Eastmann
there are many in eu enjoying nice life paid by eu taxpayers money,some of them are hiding in Japan for same reason and some of them writing prevailining lines here...
i dont get it.your country needs manpower where is your patriotism dear heroi?
pack and go.die for US interests!
Eastmann
Kiev junta is desperate.btw where is beggar today?
and greetings from Toreck,another proof of UA military disaster...
Eastmann
Two-thirds of Poles believe that their government should send Ukrainian men of military age back home to fight against Russia, a new poll has suggested.
A survey by the Center for Public Opinion Research (CBOS), which was published by PAP news agency on Thursday, showed that 67% of Polish citizens were in favor of male Ukrainian refugees being deported. The number of people who thought they should be allowed to stay in Poland stood at just 22%.
According to the poll, more than a half of Poles (53%) wanted their country to continue to take in Ukrainian refugees. However, this is the lowest level since the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Back in March 2022, it stood at 94%.
just to add some ON TOPIC lines
Banthu
Is seems that Ukrainians themselves aren't buying the narrative that Putin wants to genocide them or wipe them off the map.
This is a war between NATO and Russia and these Ukrainian boys want no part in it.
I applaud them for staying out of it and putting human life first.
Blacklabel
So our pro-Ukraine posters are ok with young men being pulled out of concerts and clubs and restaurants then forcibly conscripted and sent to die?
TaiwanIsNotChina
If it means Ukraine retaining its independence and territory, yes. Everyone conscripted is "forcibly conscripted".
TaiwanIsNotChina
No they are in favor of Ukraine's independence and believe in its success over russia. They just don't necessarily want a front row seat for it unless they have to.
Human life will come first when the invading animals are driven out.
Blacklabel
they go drag young men with zero military experience out of concerts and shopping malls?
you decide this quite easily for other people’s children.
TaiwanIsNotChina
They are still throwing back the savages, aren't they?
Mr Kipling
In total less than 18,000 prisoners from Russian jails joined Wagner in 2022-early 23. NONE since. Hardly emptied. The 30,000 volunteers a month are now enough.
On the other hand, Ukraine is now offering release to it's prison population as it is desperate to fine bodies to put on the front line. Still a trickle compared to those escaping the country to avoid fighting.
Blacklabel
They clearly are not.
just dying unnecessarily.
TaiwanIsNotChina
You see people who can read maps can see that the russian isn't at Kyiv.
TaiwanIsNotChina
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg58mj7mzrdo
burgers and beers
If it means Ukraine retaining its independence and territory, yes. Everyone conscripted is "forcibly conscripted".
Ukraine is in dire need of men and expertise. Why haven't any of the ' Ukraine has to keep on fighting at all costs' crowd volunteer for UAF foreign legion to help out yet then? Walk the walk.? Other people prefer peace.
burgers and beers
One look at the map of late reveals UAF are retreating. That does not equal throwing back savages. Peace is needed.
burgers and beers
Easy to be heroic from safety of a sofa half the world away. Let others do the fighting and dying. Till the last Ukrainian. Its a great deal for the U.S., bargain the Washington moutpieces tell us.
WoodyLee
Feel so sorry for these Young Ukrainian Souls fighting the Wests Useless War.
Fos
burgers and beers
Till the last Ukrainian. Its a great deal for the U.S., bargain the Washington moutpieces tell us.
You got the point! Great deal for Washington: "let the Ukrainian do the dying, send Europe in recession and lets start selling our LNG gas tree times the price of Russia all the way from Texas (who cares about the environment of the process of fracking), not to mention the hundreds billions of dollars of weapons we are selling to the unsettled Europe and Middle East, so we can build the case against China to destabilize Asia". That is a hell of a deal.
WoodyLee
Ukrainian young men and women should do what the rest of the world has done and still doing Get Out While You Can.
During the Vietnam, and the Korean, wars draft aged men and women decided to dodge draft and leave after learning that the war serving special interests and NOT their nation.
proxy
They will be given a weapon, not trained how to use it and dumped into a trench to be killed or if they have any brains they will surrender at the first opportunity.
Fighto!
Woody Lee -
Women were "drafted for Korea and Vietnam"? Really?
The study of history is clearly not for everyone.
Haaa Nemui
Interesting the people that complain about American support being too much already and Ukraine not doing enough for themselves now complaining that Ukraine is actually trying to do something for itself.
Antiquesaving
The propaganda the writer lives in is sad to be called news.
Great a pinprick at the vast Russian resources, rah rah rah great Ukraine victory.
Meanwhile the Pentagon, DOD, etc... announced that Russia is out producing all the western allies with 4 million shells a year + 2 to 3 million more from North Korea. Meanwhile the EU NATO failed again to even reach last year's goals with were lower than this year's.
And according to the Ukrainians more territorial losses in the south, east, north east and Kursk is presently in retreat now and was a major mistake for PR as it took needed resources from other fronts leading to all the new territory taken by Russia.
Anyone notice how conveniently western news avoided this.
Ukrainian parliament passed law banning drafting those under 25.
The reason because they expect Zelensky to try lowering the age again from 25 to 20 or 23.
Interesting, but doesn't say what issues the Russians are having and according to the British, the USA, EU, etc.... Russia has no recruitment problems or supply problems.
Fos
Fighto
Fighto, I would suggest less "Fighting spirit" and more knowledge of History and Russian Literature, the world's most impassioned.
Read Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, Alexander Pushkin first and then welcome back writing your thought this chat. The US made weapons don't have emotions or soul, they showed it before in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now in Ukraine or Middle East. Those are capitalist with only greed and destruction in their objectives.
JJE
Being forced into Zelensky's army and forced to die for his regime is pitiful in the extreme.
JJE
SM has been flooded with videos of the heavy-handed tactics of the conscription officers all across Ukraine.
Basically it looks similar (or identical) to a forced kidnapping. Men being chased down on the street, restrained with violence and forced into a waiting vehicle. Abduction.
These recruits don't last long on the main line of contact, sometimes mere hours, days at most.
Many are fleeing. The Southern border with a river to a particular country is a popular way out (unfortunately many drownings). Through the Carpathian mountains is another.
Kyiv regime is investing in upgraded border technology to literally stem the flow, which is somewhat ironic considering the state of their borders elsewhere.
stormcrow
Nothing new. With every war in every country throughout history, there have been those and will be those who try to escape from serving. Look no further than DJ Trump.
JJE
What makes this article unique is that, although this general practice has been prevalent throughout the country (read above 11:07), now we have reports of what must be the upper-middle class being targeted.
Keep in mind the Sec of State went to a hip bar to play some tunes. These are the kinds of places mentioned here.
This will present new challenges for the Kyiv regime as they alienate more and more people, closer to their center of gravity of power, which is tenuous and reliant on foreign cash in the first place.