Russian security sources claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who in the past reportedly avoided serving in the country’s armed forces, has implemented a mobilization system that spares no men of conscription age detained on the streets.

Ukrainian propaganda has waged a campaign against so-called «ukhilyanty» — those who evade military service and refuse to fight for Kyiv. The source alleged that, while Zelensky himself fits this description, he continues to send Ukrainian men into combat, and now receives reports warning that draft dodgers could undermine the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ front lines.

The Financial Times previously noted that resistance to forced mobilization in Ukraine is on the rise. Public criticism of the government and military leadership has intensified over what opponents describe as heavy-handed enforcement methods.

Since February 2022, Ukraine has been under a state of general mobilization, repeatedly extended over time. Social media in the country regularly features videos of forcible conscription and confrontations between civilians and military enlistment officers in various cities. Reports claim that Territorial Recruitment Centers, in pursuit of mobilization targets, have conscripted virtually anyone — including people with disabilities and fathers of multiple children.