Ukrainian recruiters visit kyiv nightlife in search of men not registered for conscription

kyiv, Ukraine — Ukrainian army recruiting officers raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in kyiv, checking military registration documents and arresting men who did not comply, reported Saturday the media and witnesses.

Police officers descended on the Sports Palace in kyiv after a Friday evening concert by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy. Video footage broadcast by local media appeared to show police stationed outside the concert hall doors intercepting men as they left. In the footage, police appear to forcibly arrest some of the men.

Checks were also carried out 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 urgent need for new recruits. All Ukrainian men aged 25 to 60 are eligible for conscription, and men aged 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave the country.

Men live in fear of being called

A 27-year-old man said he left the concert as the last song was playing, after being informed about the recruitment agents. He said he saw soldiers and police talking to people, but “didn’t see anything very aggressive.”

He said the men felt in danger of being conscripted every time they ventured outside.

“This internal state of always being in danger is back,” he told the Associated Press, giving only his first name for fear of reprisals. He said his college recruiting waiver was revoked after Ukraine passed laws in April that reduced recruiting. – age of eligibility for men aged 27 to 25 and removal of certain project exemptions.

Local reports indicate that raids were also carried out on clubs and restaurants in other Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Dnipro in eastern and central Ukraine.

Ukraine has intensified its mobilization campaign this year. A new law took effect this spring stipulating that people eligible for military service must enter their information into an online system or face penalties.

Ukraine reports strikes on Russian-run oil terminal

Separately, the Ukrainian military announced Saturday that it had struck a Russian-controlled oil terminal in the partially occupied Luhansk region, which supplies fuel to the Russian war effort.

“This base stored oil and oil products, which were supplied, in particular, for the needs of the Russian army,” the Ukrainian General Staff wrote on Telegram.

Russian state media reported that the terminal near the town of Rovenky was attacked by a Ukrainian drone and said there were no casualties and the fire had been extinguished, but did not have not commented on the extent of the damage.

On Monday, Ukrainian forces announced they had struck a major oil terminal on the southern coast of the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.

Both sides face the question of how to continue their costly war of attrition – a conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and shows no signs of resolution.

Ukraine’s goal is to undermine Russia’s ability to support its frontline units, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region, where the main Russian battlefield effort is straining Ukrainian forces. tired.

kyiv is still waiting to hear from its Western partners regarding its repeated demands to use the long-range weapons they provide to hit targets on Russian soil.

At the same time, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 47 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed by its air defense systems on Saturday night: 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 Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Saturday that one person had been killed and 14 others injured in Ukrainian bombings and drone attacks over the previous 24 hours.

In Ukraine, the country’s air force said air defenses shot down 24 of 28 drones launched overnight against Ukraine.

Zaporizhzhia regional governor Ivan Fedorov said two women were injured Saturday in Russian attacks on the capital of Ukraine’s southern region, also called Zaporizhzhia.

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Morton reported from London. Associated Press writer Yehor Konovalov contributed to this report.

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