Ukraine raids Kyiv concert hall, forcing men to be conscripted

Videos have spread on social media showing recruiters from Ukraine, which suffers from a severe shortage of troops, forcibly dragging young men from central Kyiv, the capital, to enlist them.

According to the British Daily Telegraph, on the 12th, recruiters clashed with young men in front of an indoor stadium in downtown Kyiv, where a performance by popular Ukrainian rock band O'Kane LG was held.

The recruiters reportedly conducted document checks on all men at the scene, and immediately enlisted those who refused to be tested or presented problematic documents.

A video shared on social media showed a man who was resisting to the end shouting "Get away from me" and eventually being dragged to the recruitment desk.

Ukrainian recruiters conducted the same test in front of nearby shopping centers and popular restaurants, local media said.

Ukraine, which has been at war for three years due to Russia's invasion, tightened its punishment for draft dodgers in April this year and extended the age for drafts from "over 27" to "over 25."

And recently, just like Russia, prisoners have begun to be conscripted.

However, as the atmosphere of reluctance to join the army has become widespread, it is known that the military shortage remains.

Oleksandr Daniliuk, a researcher at the Royal Institute of Military Research (RUSI), said, "Mobilizing the military is starting to be considered a one-way ticket to retire only when you are dead or disabled."

Western intelligence agencies believe Russian forces have suffered more than 650,000 casualties in the war.

Ukrainian military casualties are estimated to be about a third or a quarter of that, but given that the total population before the war is about 35 million, some analysts say it is not a small number.

In addition, as fears of conscription grow, a number of men are fleeing the country risking their lives, the Telegraph said.