Ukrainian draft dodgers fall for SBU's Telegram sting operation
10:12 AM EDT, June 23, 2024
Many young Ukrainians fear being drafted into the army, so they are doing everything they can to escape the country. For this reason, the Security Service of Ukraine decided to conduct a small provocation on Telegram.
A few weeks ago, journalists from "The Washington Post" spoke with Ukrainian military personnel, including unit commanders, about the progress in training new members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Many of them complained about the poor training system for new conscripts and military personnel transferred to forward units from relatively peaceful rear areas.
According to the military, the prospect of being sent to dangerous positions on the front line without proper training is the main reason why many Ukrainians fear being drafted into the army.
Due to the fear of being drafted into the army, many young Ukrainians are doing everything they can to escape the country. For this reason, the SBU decided to conduct a slight provocation.
The Security Service of Ukraine, along with the border guard, created a channel on Telegram and started selling the possibility of escaping from Ukraine for conscripts for thousands of dollars.
They were all gathered together in buses, which then brought them to the border, where... the SBU detained them.
The age of conscripts lowered
In April, President Volodymyr Zelensky approved new regulations to increase the number of conscripts. Penalties for evading military service were tightened. The state now has the right to freeze accounts and confiscate property. Additionally, the age for mobilization was lowered from 27 to 25 years.
Kyiv also decided to suspend consular services for Ukrainians living outside the country. Because of this, they cannot, among other things, apply for a new passport.
