Anna Hartz
Locals Confront Army Over Street Drafting
As Ukraine’s war with Russia stretches into its fourth year, pressure is mounting on the population.
Recruiting new soldiers is becoming more difficult. Many families are tired. Many are afraid. Some are angry.
The army needs more men every month, and the government has tightened the rules.
Men aged 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave the country without permission from the military recruitment office.
These new rules have led to growing frustration in several cities, reports Digi24.
On Friday, things took a sharp turn in the western Ukrainian city of Kamianets-Podilskyi.
About 100 people gathered on the street and blocked a military recruitment vehicle. They slashed its tires.
The crowd was upset because earlier, soldiers had taken a young man from the street and put him into the vehicle.
Bystanders saw it happen. Some tried to intervene. The situation quickly got out of control.
Videos from the scene show an angry crowd in a residential neighborhood. Some people are shouting.
Others are hitting the vehicle. Eventually, police and military forces stepped in and calmed things down.
No one was reported seriously injured, but the event raised alarm.
The local military enlistment office in Khmelnytsky region said that the crowd’s behavior showed signs of organized resistance.
Ukrainian authorities are not taking it lightly. They warned that those involved could face serious charges, including high treason.
That charge is especially serious during martial law, which Ukraine has been under since the invasion began.
In recent weeks, there have been other incidents where civilians have clashed with recruitment officers.
Some people see the methods used by the military as too aggressive. Others feel trapped by the restrictions and fear for the safety of their loved ones.
President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that around 25,000 to 27,000 men are being drafted into the army every month.
But events like this show that not everyone is willing to go quietly.