The move, based on 1992 legislation, was intended to allow the country’s armed forces to more easily identify potential conscripts, but sparked an immediate backlash. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticized the announcement in his nightly televised address to the nation on Tuesday, saying the general staff should not make decisions without him. Two lawmakers immediately tabled a bill that would repeal the military’s initiative, which they described as “outdated.” It remains unclear whether movement permits for men will be introduced, but the army’s announcement highlights the precarious position facing Ukrainian men who could be conscripted to fight at any time. Since Zelensky declared martial law at the start of Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are eligible for military service and barred from leaving the country. There are a few exceptions such as men in poor health or fathers of three or more children. “I don’t want to fight. I want to keep working,” said Roman, a 31-year-old software developer in Kyiv. “But I also don’t want to think negatively about it because a lot of my friends have mobilized and it’s not fair to them. I try not to think that if I mobilize 100% it means I’m going to die or get injured or see combat.” When martial law was first announced, Ukrainian authorities said conscription would take place in waves, starting with those with previous military experience and reflecting the needs of the military, focusing on doctors or people with a scientific background, for example. Women can also mobilize if their professional experience is required, but they cannot be forced and are not expected to fight. Thousands of Ukrainians have volunteered to fight or become reservists. By March 6, about 100,000 had enlisted in the territorial defense force alone. But there are those who worry about being sent to the front line, where a horrific artillery battle is raging and between 100 and 200 Ukrainian soldiers are reportedly dying every day. For some men, the prospect of being drafted – and the uncertainty of not knowing when the call might come – seems overwhelming. “The worst thing is that I don’t know how [mobilisation] it’s happening right now,” Roman said. “Will the recruitment notice come to my house or will someone stop me on the street? Should I continue to rent my apartment? To buy [military equipment] or not?” Last month, a group of men were arrested by police at Otel, a well-known Kyiv nightclub, for allegedly breaking a curfew, and were subsequently served with conscription notices by the local military administration office. Among them were Maks Yudin, artist and installer of Otel, and Pavlo Derhachov, owner of Otel. Yudin described how they had held a one-day event – allowed under the curfew rules – and took down the set. He said he went to open the back door at 11pm to find a mass of police waiting outside. Maks Yudin, installation artist and technician inside the Otel nightclub in Kyiv, which now serves as a distribution point for supplies in frontline areas. Photo: Ed Ram/The Guardian “There were about five police officers for every person,” said Yudin, who is originally from Russia but moved to Ukraine in 2019. “The police have demonized this club for a long time, even though we’ve been a base for volunteer work since its inception war”. Yudin himself volunteered as a military doctor at the beginning of the war, but, despite having a medical degree and previous military experience, was rejected because of his Russian citizenship. The Otel is still operating as a makeshift site for aid distribution. Behind the bar are merchandise racks stacked with goods for different cities near the front line, as well as gear for a battalion they support. On the other side of the track, there is a cage with molotov cocktails. Police said 219 people found at the club received recruitment notices, but Yudin and Derhachov say only about 10 to 15 people were there. “The kind of recruiting notice they gave us is a little bit like junk mail,” Derhatsov said. “They are designed to encourage people to sign up to fight, but there is no system to monitor. Fortunately there are a lot of these people who will react and want to fight and that’s great.” A second type of draft notice is delivered to a person’s home and states why the military needs them. “Since the war started, I’ve been experiencing a kind of survivor’s guilt syndrome because people are dying and I can’t feel good,” Derkhatsov said. “I’m really happy that the border was closed [for men] because it forces you to face what is happening even if it is in a passive form. One way or another, you have to participate.” Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Derhachov said they still host occasional events during the day, but not the “hedonistic, techno raves” that Kyiv was known for before the war. “Each event has raised money for the war – the military, a particular battalion or humanitarian aid,” he said. “We are not at the stage of total mobilization as in World War II,” explained Oleksandr Shulga, a former sociology academic at the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, who signed up to fight on the first day of the war. “There are many people who are willing and preparing to mobilize. What I worry about is that after the war there will be a gap in society between those who fought and those who did not fight.”
