Russia is reportedly engaging in the forced conscription of civilians within the occupied regions of Ukraine, a practice that many officials and analysts contend may constitute a significant violation of international law.
This situation is particularly concerning in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where the pressure on local civilians is reportedly escalating.
Local authorities are reportedly intensifying efforts to compel men to enlist in the military, reflecting a concerning trend of militarisation in the region.
In the city of Berdiansk, alarming reports have emerged indicating that men are being detained during routine document checks.
During these checks, authorities are allegedly pressuring individuals to sign military contracts. Those who resist or refuse to join the military face serious consequences, including threats of criminal prosecution or the possibility of prolonged detention.
This coercive strategy appears to aim to boost troop levels rapidly amid the ongoing conflict.
According to Ukraine’s National Resistance Centre, at least 17 individuals were forcibly mobilised in just the past week, underscoring the urgency and scale of this operation.
Under international law, specifically the Geneva Conventions, occupying powers are explicitly forbidden from compelling residents of occupied territories to serve in their armed forces. If these actions are verified, they could be classified as war crimes, raising serious humanitarian concerns.
Ukrainian officials have stated that this conscription campaign is not an isolated initiative but part of a broader strategy by Moscow.
They believe that it reflects Russia’s goal of tightening its grip on the occupied regions of Ukraine while simultaneously attempting to sustain necessary troop levels as the conflict continues to unfold. This situation emphasises the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by civilians in these areas, as they navigate the pressures of occupation and coercion amidst a protracted war.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said in a statement they “express a strong protest with regard to the forced mobilization of Ukrainian citizens to the Russian armed forces, which is carried out by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine – the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, in the framework of the so-called “autumn draft.
“By carrying out the so-called “conscription” in these territories, the Russian Federation grossly violates its international legal obligations, in particular under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of the Civilian Persons in Time of War, according to which the occupying power is prohibited to force people to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces, as well as to exert pressure and spreading propaganda in favour of voluntary enlistment to the army.
“We call on citizens of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories to avoid such “drafting” at all costs, and persons who will be forcibly conscripted to the army of the aggressor state, at the first opportunity to leave such units and return to the territory of Ukraine or leave for third countries.
“By carrying out “conscription campaign” on the territory of another sovereign state in violation of the norms of international law, the Kremlin regime actually delegitimizes it as a whole. Accordingly, conscripts – citizens of the Russian Federation have reasons not to comply with the illegal “Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on conscription” and to avoid such “conscription” in every possible way.
“In case that conscripts are involved in aggression against Ukraine, we urge you to use the “I Want to Live” project and voluntarily surrender your weapons to the Defence Forces of Ukraine.”
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