In Ukraine, forcible military recruitment efforts escalate into violence

Anton was walking home with a friend in Kyiv when he was suddenly seized and forced into the back seat of a police car, with an officer on each side, heading towards a future that would likely see him in the trenches.The 52-year-old, who requested to withhold his surname to protect his identity, has supported Ukraine’s fight against Russia, but did not want to be sent to the front line. The grinding attrition of war seemed like a death sentence given his health issues. He is HIV-positive and has arthritis and poor eyesight – conditions that he believed made him medically unfit to serve.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Russian missile attacks kill at least nine in Ukraine’s Kyivlist 2 of 4Moscow restaurant bombing kills threelist 3 of 4Russian and Ukrainian strikes kill 14 on both sideslist 4 of 4Ukraine strikes Russia’s biggest retailer againend of listBut since mobilisation laws took effect in May 2024, Ukraine’s recruitment officers have been ambushing men on the street.In late January, when he was allegedly captured, he had been avoiding venturing out of his apartment block – fearful of both Ukraine’s controversial conscription drive and Russian drone attacks on his...