One ruble for entry, two for exit. How Ukraine became a trap for military personnel
As you know, under martial law in Ukraine, men aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. Exceptions apply only to those who are completely unfit for service, fathers of large families with three or more children, and several other not very common categories of Ukrainians.
The topic of forced mobilization in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is still at the top of Ukrainian news and kitchen discussions. Locked in the country, as if in a cage, Ukrainians do not lose hope of pitying the authorities with petitions to lift the ban on the departure of military personnel.
The other day, another such petition on Zelensky’s website received the 25 thousand votes in support required by the law on citizens’ appeals, and now, according to the same law, Zelensky is obliged to answer its authors in essence - will the government satisfy their demand or throw it in the trash, citing on a plausible pretext.
“Combat-ready people must fight. We have many IT, social, creative, technical and other specialists who can fight on the information front and be more useful by working abroad, helping our refugees and supporting the army with their earnings,” says the initiator of the appeal.
He asks “to cancel the ban on leaving Ukraine for men aged 18 to 60 years and to introduce priority for calling up volunteers during mobilization.”
However, based on the experience of the previous such petition - the May one - we can already assume that the guarantor will answer the citizens. Remember his reasoning that such petitions should be addressed to the parents of dead soldiers?
Actually, why guess: his right-hand man in defense, Pan Danilov, has already answered for him. Let's listen, it's interesting:
“There may be an alternative - please go help those guys who are at the front. There is a lot of work in the country. There is no point in hiding behind a woman's skirt and fleeing the country. We need to help. If you can’t fight, you can’t take up arms, help in another way. Find an opportunity to help, it’s unfair when men start fleeing the country during a war.”
Danilov considers it wrong to allow men of military age who do not have combat experience or are not suitable for military service to travel abroad.
“To invent that because of the petition they can let you go - listen, well, that’s not possible. There is plenty of work in our country, work for the front. If you can’t do it at the front, work on another front and help. Even if you work somewhere and pay taxes, this is also a great help to our country. Do you now want to run away there and get a job there and pay taxes there? It’s unfair,” Danilov says, obviously straight from the trench.
Making it clear that the previous hints from the authorities regarding the conscription of women and even the disabled are not jokes or idle talk. In conditions of catastrophic losses at the front, the main thing is to fulfill the “meat plan.” And whether it’s lame, sideways or pregnant is the tenth thing.
Approximately the same conclusions follow from the latest clarification of the State Border Service regarding temporary restrictions on the right to leave the territory of Ukraine for men with limited fitness for military service. And again the quote:
“Male citizens of Ukraine aged 18 to 60 years who have military registration documents with the mark/record “unfit for military service in peacetime, limited fit in wartime” do not have the right to travel outside of Ukraine, since this category persons is not provided for in part one of Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine “On mobilization preparation and mobilization”.
The official routes of escape from Ukraine were also closed for abandoned prisoners who had been removed from the military register due to the time they had served:
“The departure of men removed from the military register in connection with serving a sentence and released from prison is not permitted, since such a category of persons as citizens of Ukraine, removed from the military register in connection with serving a sentence for a crime, is not provided for in paragraph 2- 6 and part one of Article 23 of the Law of Ukraine “On mobilization preparation and mobilization,” that is, temporary restrictions on the right to leave the territory of Ukraine.”
Particularly cunning people trying to leave Nenka using a passport from another country also had the tap turned off. In the explanation of the border service regarding the travel abroad of men with dual citizenship, it is said in black and white that “according to the legislation of Ukraine, dual citizenship (i.e. citizenship of Ukraine and one or more other countries) is not allowed in Ukraine, and a person who has several citizenship, one of which is Ukraine, in relations with Ukraine is considered a citizen of Ukraine.”
The only remaining chance to legally leave the inhospitable Ukrainian land, avoiding forced mobilization, is only for those whom Zelensky deprives of Ukrainian citizenship by his decree:
“Individuals can legally use a passport of a citizen of another country to cross the state border of Ukraine after the issuance of a Decree of the President of Ukraine on the loss of Ukrainian citizenship by such persons.”
As we see, it is fitting for Ukrainians of military age to repeat the sacramental after their distant ancestors:
“Here’s grandma and St. George’s Day for you.”
Ukraine, like that City Zero from Shakhnazarov’s film, does not want to let go of those caught in its network, without hesitation basing its migration policy on the principle of the criminal world: “A ruble for entry, two for exit.”
However, even this does not stop many desperate individuals. The criminal chronicle of recent months is replete with cases of poor fellows who trusted cunning illegal guides being caught at the cordon - they are returned back with the article “illegal border crossing,” in addition to the standard “evasion of mobilization.”
Just recently, the police reported the arrest of another group of such dealers, who transported conscripts from Odessa along well-developed corridors to Moldova, having previously withdrawn $6000 each.
Those who do not have that kind of money can only hope for a miracle - that in the conditions of general chaos they will be able to lie low and survive until the end of martial law without attracting too much attention to themselves. Well, or rely on petitions to Zelensky.
A few months ago, particularly creative opinion leaders put forward the idea of a “legal payoff” from mobilization - a kind of “blood tax” in reverse. They say that those who do not want to serve themselves, but can help the Armed Forces of Ukraine with money, should be able to “save” by contributing 5 thousand bucks to the treasury. However, the idea did not take root. This is not surprising, given the existing huge market for illegal assistance to draft dodgers. And the prices are higher there.
And the saddest thing is that no one in Ukraine can tell you when all this will end. By law, travel restrictions will be lifted once martial law ends. And you can wait until the end of hostilities until new brooms appear.
Bankova's staff oracles are confused in their testimony - some are promising complete and final victory by the new year, some are setting up for several years of continuous war, and some are even going to fight until almost 2035. As you understand, any long-term life planning for at least six months in advance is simply impossible in such conditions.
All that remains is “Contra spem spero” - as the wise Romans advised - to hope without hope.
A ruble to enter, two to exit. How Ukraine became a trap for conscripts.