The story goes on under the ad All Russian men between the ages of 18 and 27 must serve one year in the military, and conscription campaigns are usually held every spring and autumn. Avoiding the army is punishable by heavy fines and imprisonment of up to two years. Human rights groups and lawyers say that since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, they have been receiving a barrage of calls from eligible men, as well as their wives, girlfriends and mothers, seeking legal assistance to avoid the military. “The number of applications is huge, much more compared [to previous drafts]”, Said a lawyer who works with a legal group called Conscious Refusal From Military Service in Russia, which helps Russians navigate conscription laws and contract service in the armed forces. The lawyer spoke on condition of anonymity because Russia had recently introduced new laws punishing the “discrediting” of the Russian military. Since the team set up a Telegram account three weeks ago to process cases faster, lawyers have received more than 8,000 requests for help, they said. Other Russian organizations, such as the Committee of Mothers of Soldiers and the human rights group Agora, have also reported an increase in military investigations and possible mobilizations. The story goes on under the ad “People are not convinced [by what Shoigu said] “because it is not supported by anything other than ‘the minister said it,’” the lawyer said. “Because in fact the law, the regulation of military service, allows the deployment of conscripts who served for at least four months in battle.” Even some military officials have acknowledged that the camp will take place under difficult conditions. “An information and psychological war is being waged against Russia with increasing intensity through a huge stream of counterfeits,” St. Petersburg military commissioner Sergei Katskovsky said in late March, according to the Interfax news agency. “Also, the young people have little information about the life of the Russian armed forces and the country as a whole. “This leads to a growing fear of discipline, the military and rising anti-government sentiment.” The story goes on under the ad The Russian military includes both conscripts and professional soldiers who sign a contract to serve. President Vladimir Putin said on March 8 that the hostilities in Ukraine were not about conscripts. However, videos released by the Ukrainian army allegedly show that Russian conscripts had been captured in the early days of the war. In one such video, 23-year-old Damur Mustafaev said his unit had told him he would take part in military exercises in western Russia. But he ended up in the Chernihiv region of central Ukraine, where Mustafaev was arrested after the collapse of his tank. The next day, March 9, the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that some conscripts had been sent to Ukraine – calling it a “mistake” – and had indeed been taken prisoner. Skepticism about military officials is deep in Russia. Many people remember the trauma inflicted during the separatist wars in southern Chechnya in the 1990s and early 2000s. Thousands of young men, sadly unprepared for battle, were killed, and groups such as the Committee of Mothers of Soldiers won prominent, working for the release of prisoners of war and the return of the bodies to bereaved families. These groups have also sought to reform their military service and address issues such as beatings, abuse and humiliation of soldiers, as well as food shortages and other basic necessities. The story goes on under the ad For years, various groups have campaigned for an end to conscription in Russia and its replacement by a purely voluntary, conventional force similar to that of the United States, which suspended its military in 1973. “The decision to join the army must be made consciously,” Olga Golovina, head of the Committee of Mothers of Soldiers in the Novosibirsk region, told local media. “In order to do this, the individual must be formed both mentally and morally. Then people will not be driven there under pressure. “The army is a difficult experience, but valuable – if the conditions are right.” It was not until 2019 that Putin pledged to abolish military service, but the expiration date remains unclear. He has repeatedly made similar promises during his tenure, but none have materialized. The story goes on under the ad Under Russian law, men can refuse to join the military and seek alternative service – such as post office, nursing home, and hospital shifts – for religious, moral, or political reasons. “Many people are afraid that in real war conditions, the law will not work, that the army will spit on the constitution and, instead of giving them alternative service, immediately grab them at the conscription offices and send them straight to the war zone. “, Said the lawyer. So far, he said, recruits have continued to receive requests for alternative service. Many Russians also try to avoid the military for health reasons and through deferrals granted to college students. But military offices do not always accept these reasons. The Russians have good reason to doubt whether the recruitment will be fair, given the reluctance of some officials to abide by the exemption and deferral rules and the common practice among wealthier Russians to redeem their military service. The story goes on under the ad An IT specialist who recently graduated from a Moscow university said in an interview that his local committee tried to force him to enroll last year. The young man, in his early 20s, had an official letter from his university confirming that he had defended his undergraduate dissertation and had been licensed for two months before enrolling in the postgraduate course. Russia regularly grants deferrals from military service until all studies have been completed. “But what happens is that they tell you: ‘Wipe your ass with this letter. “Tomorrow you will go to a military base,” the student recalls. “The commissioners are trying to put as much pressure on you as possible, they are refusing to accept any letter of postponement and their sole purpose is to get you to sign the draft notice.” The student eventually sued the conscription office and won, much to his surprise. The draft is also full of corruption. Military offices have networks of doctors, officers, and military personnel willing to sell military service cards that allow men to avoid conscription at a cost of up to several thousand dollars each. The ever-increasing cost of such cards has pushed many parents to have two savings funds: one to pay for college and another to bribe the conscription office. The story goes on under the ad Avoiding sinking is especially common in large cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, but it is more difficult for residents of less prosperous areas. At the same time, volunteering to serve as a contract soldier is one of the few options for young Russians who need a steadily paid job. Human rights groups also reported that some conscripts were forced to serve under contract prior to the invasion of Ukraine. “Overall, the problem with conscripts being forced to sign contracts is systemic and existed before the war started,” the lawyer said. “All this is done so that the military bosses can get good numbers in their recruitment reports.” Many requests for assistance received by the team of lawyers come from professional soldiers and other contractors trying to avoid being sent to Ukraine.
