Maksym, who has a young daughter and wife who is seven months pregnant, said he was sorry to miss the wedding but was afraid of being “grabbed” by conscription officers who he likened to “bandits”. The mobilisation squads have a fearsome reputation, especially in Odesa, for pulling people off buses and from train stations and ferrying them straight to enlistment centres. For those avoiding the draft, public transport is now off limits. So too are restaurants, supermarkets, and weekend trips to the park to play football.

When I asked whether he was there out of choice, he told me he had been “kidnapped” that morning and brought against his will. “The officers encircled me so I couldn’t run,” he stuttered in shock. “I’m devastated."

Last year, while on his way to work, he was ordered off a bus by the military at gun point, he said, and taken to an enlistment centre. He convinced the officers to let him go to fetch some documents, but vowed to himself he would never return. “I’m not a military man, I’ve never held a weapon, I don’t think I can be useful on the front line,” he said.

This is only one source but I am sure you could find more if you simply looked up "Ukraine forced conscription" literally all I had to do.

[–] caboose2006@lemm.ee -3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

All conscription is "forced" conscription though. US conscripts would be forced to fight or go to jail. Kidnapping is not an accurate description at all. You ignore draft orders you're a fugitive. Simple as

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 20 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

First of all, they doesn't make it right or not kidnapping. You literally asked who they were kidnapping and I showed you a source that even used the word kidnapping. What else could you have possibly expected. What else would you call and armed gunman forcibly taking you to a second location. Just take the L dumbass. The Ukrainian working class is being forced to fight and die for western geopolitical interests and you are unwilling to see it.

[–] caboose2006@lemm.ee 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

I'd argue that's not kidnapping. Yes, the guy being interviewed is quoted as saying kidnapped, but that doesn't make it kidnapping. We're not arguing morality here, we're arguing whether or not a country enforcing it's conscription laws is kidnapping. And it's not. Do you go after South Korea for imprisoning people who refuse the draft there? Seems pretty hypocritical to me, but that's not surprise, ya gotta be a hypocrite to support Russia.

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I would call what I read kidnapping regardless of country

[–] caboose2006@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Then we have a fundamental disagreement on kidnapping

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 days ago

You had already decided your position before I presented evidence

[–] SeducingCamel@hexbear.net 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Can't wait for your dogshit instance to close

[–] caboose2006@lemm.ee 1 points 6 days ago

You know we can just migrate to a new one right? Man, you need to get out more if that is what you can't wait for