Russia has begun to conscript Ukrainians in the regions it illegally annexed last year into military service, marking a new phase in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
The autumn conscription began on October 1 in all parts of the Russian Federation, including the occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. These regions were seized by Russia last September following referendums that were widely dismissed as “shams” by Ukraine and Western nations.
In certain areas of Russia’s Far North, conscription will commence on November 1 due to climate variations, Rear Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky, Deputy Chief of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, announced during a briefing.
“Military personnel undergoing military service upon conscription will not be sent to the points of deployment of units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the new regions of the Russian Federation: Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions or to participate there in carrying out the tasks of a special military operation,” he said, using Russia’s euphemistic term for its war in Ukraine.
“Russian authorities openly and unlawfully force men in occupied areas of Ukraine to fight against their own country,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Less visible is their practice of pressuring Ukrainian civilians in detention, who have nowhere to hide or flee, to join the Russian forces.”
While regular conscriptions will be carried out, Russia has no plans for further mobilizations. “The term of conscription military service, as before, will be 12 months,” said a high-ranking official.
Meanwhile, the conflict on the ground continues to escalate. Ukraine’s counter-offensive has been underway for more than four months. Ukrainian forces have gained a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, a significant advance as it may allow the transfer of vital equipment across the river.
Ukraine first announced it had made a breakthrough in mid-November – the river had separated Ukrainian and Russian forces since Moscow’s troops withdrew from Kherson a year ago.
Analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say Ukrainian forces have retained their positions despite Russian counterattacks.
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