National Police intensifying efforts to combat draft evasion

The National Police is intensifying efforts to combat military service evasion in Kherson Oblast, the Regional Governor announced in a Telegram post on Nov. 17.

"The National Police has been instructed to intensify the search for individuals evading military service," said Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Kherson Oblast.

Prokudin outlined plans for the expansion of checkpoints across Kherson Oblast aimed at verifying the military service status of individuals who have previously received draft notices.

As Ukraine faces the challenge of maintaining adequate military personnel, recent reports by the BBC indicate that nearly 20,000 Ukrainian men have managed to evade conscription, finding various routes to leave the country.

Earlier this year law enforcement officials discovered a large-scale draft evasion scheme involving falsified medical certificates. Those involved reportedly charged substantial amounts, ranging from $7,000 to $10,000, to provide fake certificates declaring individuals unfit for military service due to fabricated health conditions.

Fedor Venislavsky, the President's representative in the Verkhovna Rada, previously stated that between one and five percent of individuals are attempting to avoid mobilization.

Under martial law, Ukrainian men between the ages of 18–60, with some exceptions, are not allowed to leave the country because they could be called up for military service.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk