The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest against the forced mobilization of Ukrainian citizens into the armed forces and other military formations, which the Russian Federation is carrying out in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as part of the so-called "spring conscription 2025". This is stated in the statement of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, reports UNN.
Details
It is noted that the Russian "conscription" in the occupied territories grossly violates international law, in particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, according to which the occupying power is prohibited from compelling persons to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces, as well as from exerting pressure and conducting propaganda in favor of voluntary enlistment in the army.
We call on the international community to strengthen political-diplomatic, sanctions, and other types of pressure on the Kremlin regime. We appeal to the International Criminal Court with a demand to investigate this crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called on international organizations, including the UN, OSCE, and the Council of Europe, to take all necessary measures to protect the rights of coerced Ukrainian citizens who are subjected to pressure from the occupying authorities, and to document Russian crimes.
We ask citizens of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories to avoid Russian "conscription" in every possible way, if possible, and in case of forced mobilization, to leave such units at the first opportunity and return to the territory of Ukraine or go to third countries. In case of involvement of conscripted servicemen by the Russian Federation in aggression against Ukraine, we urge them to use the "I Want to Live" project and voluntarily lay down their arms to the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
They separately addressed ethnic Ukrainians who are citizens of the Russian Federation.
"Remember your ancestry and roots and do not participate in the criminal war against the homeland of your ancestors," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged.
Recall
On March 31, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the spring conscription of Russians aged 18 to 30 for military service. In the current campaign, 160,000 Russians are planned to be called up for urgent service, which is 10,000 more than in the same period last year.