The occupation of Ukraine is in its sixth month and the Russian army needs more soldiers. Human rights defenders say Chechen authorities used controversial methods to persuade “volunteers”. At the same time, the number of young Russians trying to escape military service is increasing.
Four months ago, the Russian authorities dissolved the NGO Memorial, which, despite repression, managed to maintain contacts in Chechnya. A few weeks ago, this organization received information that the Chechen security services kidnapped the men and forced them to join the Russian troops fighting in Ukraine under the status of “volunteers”.
“Chechen police officers arrest people with criminal records, offering them to volunteer with the military for their release or arrest,” says Alexandre Cherkasov, chairman of Memorial’s human rights centre.
Payment for freedom is not cheap. According to the information gathered by the organization, citizens have to pay around 500,000 rubles (almost R$ 48,000).
Chechnya is part of 85 regions of the Russian Federation. And they were all ordered to form battalions of about 400 men aged between 18 and 60. The target was taken extremely seriously by the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. It also receives help from religious leaders, who see the war in Ukraine as a kind of “jihad”. [guerra santa contra infiéis].
“Volunteer battalions are recruited in every region of Russia. Chechnya is in charge of four battalions. Kadyrov is one of the main participants in this war in every respect,” says Cherkasov.
Young Russians Avoiding Military Service
Some NGOs state that more and more young Russians are trying to escape from compulsory military service. For this, they must prove their disability due to health issues, university enrollment, or personal and religious beliefs. In this way, instead of introducing themselves to the Armed Forces, they are doing an “alternative public service”.
Elena Popova, director of the non-governmental organization Movimentos de Opositores, says, “They call many young people who would not be drafted in normal times. The number of calls has been multiplied by seven.”
At the start of the war, the Russian authorities admitted to sending young soldiers to Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin put an end to this practice after public criticism. “I don’t believe they would risk resorting to this alternative again because they fear an uprising,” Popova says.
Russia uses other methods to recruit more soldiers, such as recruiting members of private military companies. As in Chechnya, many men report being victims of mobbing. Moscow also recruits young men fresh out of military service in the poorest parts of the country.
source: Noticias
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