Kiev asks inhabitants of Dombas to resist forced mobilization with Russia

Lviv (Ukraine), 22 Mar The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on Tuesday called on the inhabitants of the pro-Russian region of Dombas (east) to resist forced mobilization with Russian troops, saying that differences between Ukrainian citizens will be addressed in the future. The holder of the Defense portfolio, Oleksii Reznikov, urged the citizens of the region to, “in any way possible, try to avoid forced mobilization. It will save their lives.” “In recent days, the Ukrainian army has increasingly captured people who were forcibly mobilized and thrown into combat as cannon fodder by the Russian occupiers. You and we know that the scale of forced mobilization is growing,” said the minister. Reznikov stated that the people mobilized by the occupier “are not included in the loss statistics of the Russian army. Because for Moscow you are merely expendable.” “We still consider them citizens of Ukraine, as before. We consider them as one of us. If you didn't commit any crime, you're safe. We will deal with differences later,” says the minister. In the event that he was forced to enlist with the Russian army, Reznikov urges the recipients of the message to side with Ukrainian forces “as soon as possible”. “Everyone who laid down their arms will be safe. We'll take care of all the paperwork. The main thing is to avoid the irreversible and save lives. If you are committing crimes but want to escape, run away. Or give up. But very quickly,” adds the minister. Finally, he states that those who have committed crimes “will be able to return to their normal lives after serving their sentence. We will need extra hands to restore the Dombas after cleaning it from occupants.” CHIEF int-jam/jgb