Ukraine poised to sacrifice entire adult population as government warns of full mobilization
By isabelle // 2024-05-16
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The Ukrainian government is warning its population that full mobilization is a possibility as their war efforts continue to fall short. A spokesman for the Ukrainian defense ministry, Dmitry Lazutkin, said that all of Ukrainian society must prepare to make sacrifices and give up peaceful life as they scramble to deal with a slew of setbacks in their conflict with Russia. Speaking to Espresso TV, Lazutkin said: “Globally speaking, starting on May 18, when the mobilization law comes into force, first of all, the approach to this war will change. This situation [where] some people are fighting at the front lines while others are living their quiet lives, is obviously coming to an end.” In other words, the people must be ready to enter full war mode, even those who live far from the fighting. He noted that life for those in Kiev has been “strikingly different” than it has for those in eastern Ukraine. “It would be normal if our enemy was weak. But with such an enemy, the whole country and the whole of society need to mobilize,” he added. He said that after the country's new mobilization law goes into effect on May 18, nearly every Ukrainian man will be drafted into the country's army. Among other things, the new law sees the mobilization age of men dropped from 27 to 25. It also provides draft officers with more powers to punish those who try to dodge the draft using measures such as blocking their bank accounts. The fines for those who violate military registration rules are being increased to $520, and authorities will begin to place restrictions on property belonging to people who try to avoid military service. The new rules have led to a rise in Ukrainian men trying to flee the country. According to the Ukrainian Border Service, as many as 150 people are caught each day trying to leave the country, with some losing their lives trying to get away. The Ukrainian foreign ministry has already suspended consular services for all Ukrainians who are eligible for the military abroad.

Ukraine changes rules so convicts can serve in the army

The new rules will also allow convicts to serve in the army for the first time in the history of Ukraine. The country's justice minister, Dennis Maliuksa, recently told the BBC that as many as 20,000 convicts could be mobilized as a result of the new law. This puts them on par with Russia, who has already immobilized tens of thousands of convicts into its own army and vowed to issue those who survive six months on the front line with a pardon. While the Russian policy has attracted a lot of criticism because many of the rapists and murderers that have been mobilized into the Russian army have gone on to reoffend, Ukraine’s version of the rule only allows convicts who volunteer to fight and will not accept those who are in prison for violent crimes. Kiev has been grappling with a severe shortage of troops and ammunition during the past six months, putting them in a position where Russia has been able to easily push Ukrainian forces back across the front line. Ukraine is growing increasingly desperate to replace the nearly half a million casualties that have been seen since the war began in February 2022. Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu recently reported that more than 111,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died so far this year. Sources for this article include: RT.com Telegraph.co.uk
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