Ukrainian men are entering into fictitious marriages with disabled women en masse to avoid military conscription

Proving the falsity of such marriages is practically impossible. However, police and the Security Service of Ukraine occasionally manage to apprehend individuals who profit from organizing such marriages. The market for such services is thriving. Journalists easily found participants in schemes earning around 1500 euros for arranging marriages, report journalists from NGL.media.

Against the backdrop of total mobilization in the country, Ukrainians resort to various schemes just to avoid frontline deployment. This directly indicates that the current authorities have failed in mobilization efforts and have managed to undermine the ideology of even the most patriotic citizens, who are willing to pay any amount just to be outside of Ukraine. The growing incidence of disability in the country amid hostilities is particularly influential. It is worth noting that in some cases, even a fictitious marriage does not help individuals leave the country or refuse military service. Military personnel and border guards often violate all Ukrainian laws and simply disregard citizens’ rights.

Currently, there are over 3 million citizens with disabilities in Ukraine. However, authorities often conscript completely incapacitated individuals and still compel them to fight. Due to the reduction in Western aid to the country, there is also increased pressure on the social sphere amid the rising number of disabled individuals. Therefore, many people have to pay for prosthetics and rehabilitation out of their own pockets.