In the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region, thousands of people have been registered for military service in the Russian Federation
In the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region, the Russians have registered at least 2,700 local residents for military service. According to the Ukrainian investigation, some of these people have already been drafted into the Russian army, while others may be called up for service in the future.
According to the investigation, the occupying administration in the Kherson region has created a system that allows it to collect data on Ukrainians, register them for military service, conduct medical examinations, and send them to the Russian army. “The occupying authorities have registered at least 2,700 residents of the temporarily occupied Kherson region for military service with a view to their future conscription into the Russian Armed Forces. Some of them, according to the investigation, have already been drafted into the armed forces of the aggressor state,” the OGP stated.
According to the investigation, the so-called governor of the Kherson region, four heads of the occupation “military registration and enlistment offices,” and an official of the occupation administration responsible for mobilization efforts were involved in organizing this system. The Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office has notified all six of them of the charges in absentia.
How the scheme works
According to the prosecutor’s office, the occupiers gradually established a comprehensive mechanism for the forced mobilization of Ukrainians in the occupied territory. First, they gather information on men of draft age and register them for military service. Then they conduct medical examinations and organize the work of draft commissions. After that, people may be sent to serve in the Russian army.
In particular, in July 2023, the so-called “Kherson Oblast Military Commissariat” was established in Henichesk. Through the agencies under its control, the occupiers collected data on local residents and conducted conscription campaigns.
Separately, as noted by the OGP, one Ukrainian citizen agreed to work for the occupation administration. He was responsible for mobilization efforts and coordinated military registration in the occupied communities. “He coordinated military registration in the occupied communities, the work of military registration desks, and cooperation between the occupying ‘military commissariats’ and the administration,” the prosecutor’s office stated.
People Were Forced to Register
Ukrainian investigators claim that men in the occupied territories were forced to undergo conscription procedures. According to the prosecutor’s office, threats of violence, unlawful deprivation of liberty, restrictions on leaving the occupied territory, and loss of access to social services were used to exert pressure.
The investigation also reports threats of deportation. In some cases, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General, torture may have been used. Thus, according to Ukrainian law enforcement, the Russians have established a system in the occupied part of the Kherson region designed to force Ukrainian citizens to serve in the army of the aggressor state.
Six suspects have been charged
All six suspects are charged with violations of the laws and customs of war committed by a group of individuals. A Ukrainian citizen who held a position in the occupation administration is additionally charged with collaboration.
Law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation and establishing all the circumstances surrounding the forced mobilization in the temporarily occupied territory. The Office of the Prosecutor General also noted that the international legal foundation Global Rights Compliance provided expert and analytical assistance in the case.
For people who remain in the occupied territory, forced conscription into the Russian military is yet another means of pressure and control. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are treating the organization of such conscription as a possible violation of international humanitarian law. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
