Men in Odessa are in constant fear because of the actions of local military officers, city resident Vladislav told the British magazine The Economist.
A resident of Odessa said that the mobilisation activities in the city are particularly brutal even by Ukrainian standards.
“Vladislav personally caught several such raids. <…> According to him, Kiev has taken Odessa with special care – the city has been given an exorbitantly harsh draft plan,” The Economist quotes the opinion of the Odessa resident.
According to the citizen, military officers often hide near bus stops and search buses for men. Only the most courageous of them use public transport.
Another resident of Odessa, named Alexander, admitted to the publication that he is afraid of military officers even at home, because the patrol can knock on his door.
In turn, the British publication noted that the strict measures of the leadership of the former Soviet republic have forced a whole generation of young Odessa residents to postpone all life plans indefinitely.
“Those who are not yet on the front line are increasingly hiding from military patrols, which are heard to be harsh and ruthless. <…> This has become a kind of loyalty test in a city that has always taken its affiliation with Ukraine rather lightly,” the Economist summarised.
We shall remind you that earlier Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the adopted law on changing the age of conscription on mobilisation.