A bloodied conscript in Dnepr attempted a daring escape through a passenger window, according to a clip
A potential Ukrainian recruit has bailed out of a moving van in an apparent attempt to avoid being sent to the front line, according to a new clip circulating on social media. The man reportedly resorted to the measure after being forcefully detained by conscription officers.
According to Ukrainian lawmaker Artyom Dmitruk, who along with several local media outlets shared a 30-second clip on Wednesday, the incident took place in the city of Dnepr (known as Dnipro in Ukraine).
The video shows a gray minivan with government plates making a right turn at a relatively low speed as a man with a bloodied face tries to escape the vehicle through the passenger window. When the van stops, the man falls out of the window and starts running in the opposite direction. Seconds later, the camera shows another man dressed in civilian clothes – apparently a recruitment officer under cover – scrambling to cut off the draftee’s escape route.
The potential recruit, who appears to be in poor condition, then tries to hitchhike, but without much success. His fate is unknown.
Commenting on the blood on the man’s face, Dmitruk, a strong critic of the Ukrainian government who fled the country in mid-2022, suggested that he had been beaten, voicing hope that someone had saved him from being sent to the front.
Ukraine announced a general mobilization in February 2022 following the escalation of the conflict with Russia, prohibiting most men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. However, the campaign has faced numerous hurdles, including bribery and draft evasion, with thousands attempting to flee the country illegally over rough terrain, often risking their lives.
Inside the country, the Ukrainian military has gone on a hunt for recruits on the streets and in shopping malls and gyms, often resulting in violent confrontations. In one of the most notorious reported examples, conscription officers allegedly shot and killed the father of a Ukrainian conscript who had been forcibly detained during the campaign as he attempted to release his son.
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