As the Ukrainian government is desperately pulling out all the stops to address its shortage of manpower, Ukrainian men have resorted to paying disabled women for marriage to escape Kyiv's mandatory conscription.
Ukrainian outlet NGL Media disclosed details of this scheme in a March 15 report. According to the piece, fighting-age men can defer mandatory military service if they have a disabled dependent. They are also permitted to leave Ukraine's borders, which many do so for good as per the news outlet.
This scheme, which many draft dodgers are exploiting, is actually included in the country's martial law legislation. NGL Media nevertheless acknowledged that such fake marriages "are not treated as against the law" and that the scheme "is completely legal."
The anti-corruption outlet's investigation found scores of groups on Facebook and Telegram that facilitate this practice. There were able-bodied men looking for a disabled wife to marry and disabled women looking for a military-age husband. Also present in these groups were intermediaries who would "arrange" the fake marriages for a price.
"In my experience, out of 100 cases of servicemen who apply for discharge for family reasons, 95 cases use that topic – i.e. if their wife, their parents or their wife's parents have a disability. To get an exemption, it is enough to have such a marriage," said Ukrainian lawyer Yevhen Filipets.
"It is almost impossible to prove the marriage is fake; it is possible only through a court decision. And one of the spouses has the right to go to court to recognize such a marriage as fake. Will [they] apply in these circumstances? I don't think so. Ukrainian people are very resourceful."
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According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy, there are more than three million people with disabilities in Ukraine. Women are not singled out as a separate category, and as such, they are included in this total.
Draft dodging via this loophole could increase as Kyiv expands conscription
NGL Media's March 15 report about fake marriages and the disability loophole come at the heels of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signing a new law expanding conscription. Under the new law, the age of mobilization is now lowered by two years from 27 to 25. This move, according to Modernity News, seeks to make up for troop shortfalls.
"More young men will be removed from the struggling Ukrainian economy and sent off to the meat grinder in anticipation of another Russia summer offensive," Modernity News continued. "Well over 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed already, forcing Ukraine to call up older personnel. The average age of a Ukrainian soldier is now over 40 years of age, the same as Russia, underscoring how the whole conflict has been a devastating bloodbath for both sides." (Related: The average age of a Ukrainian soldier has increased to 43.)
In March, Polish Gen. Rajmund Andrzejczak remarked that Ukraine is losing the war. He also lamented that Kyiv "has no resources" and "no one to fight" for it, further highlighting Ukraine's precarious situation.
"More than 10 million people are missing," said Andrzejczak, former chief of the general staff of the Polish Armed Forces. "According to my estimates, losses should be in the millions, not hundreds of thousands. Ukrainians are losing this war."
Edward Luttwak, a consultant for the U.S. Department of State, also remarked that Ukraine is in a bad place. He pointed out that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries will have to send soldiers to Ukraine or "accept catastrophic defeat." According to Luttwak, the United Kingdom and France – both NATO member nations – are making preparations to do so.
Head over to UkraineWitness.com for more stories involving Ukraine.
Watch this video of Ukrainian recruitment officers in the central city of Poltava beating up a young man who is resisting the draft.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Ukrainian commander reveals most of Kyiv's soldiers are "old men."
Young male Ukrainians hide in their homes after fears of forced conscription.
NATO tells Ukraine to bolster troop numbers through accelerated conscription.
Warmonger Lindsey Graham urges Ukraine to expand its CONSCRIPTION efforts.
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