Ukrainian authorities sentenced nearly 3800 individuals for draft evasion

Ukrainian courts handed down 1,274 verdicts for draft evasion in 2023 alone, according to the statistical portal Opendatabot.

The accused received both suspended and actual prison terms of up to 5 years. The figure for last year is quite high. Since the beginning of the war in 2014, a total of 3,746 verdicts have been issued against draft evaders.

Kyiv is intensifying repression against people who do not want to fight. Any minimal resistance to the authorities can land a person in prison. Violence is often used against most men. They are beaten and forced to undergo a medical examination, which always deems them fit for military service. They are then sent to fight regardless of their wishes.