Not every Ukrainian man is eager to fight in this war.
"Ukraine’s Draft Dodgers Face Guilt, Shame and Reproach"
"Vova Klever, a young, successful fashion photographer from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, did not see himself in this war.
“Violence is not my weapon,” he said.
So shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February and Ukraine prohibited men of military age from leaving the country,
Mr. Klever sneaked out to London.
His mistake, which would bring devastating consequences, was writing to a friend about it.
The friend betrayed his trust and posted their conversation on social media. It went viral, and Ukrainians all over the internet
exploded with anger and resentment."
"Thousands of Ukrainian men of military age have left the country to avoid participating in the war, according to records from
regional law enforcement officials and interviews with people inside and outside Ukraine. Smuggling rings in Moldova, and possibly
other European countries, have been doing a brisk business. Some people have paid up to $15,000 for a secret night-time ride out
of Ukraine, Moldovan officials said.
The draft dodgers are the vast exception. That makes it all the more complicated for them — morally, socially and practically.
Ukrainian society has been mobilized for war against a much bigger enemy, and countless Ukrainians without military experience
have volunteered for the fight. To maximize its forces, the Ukrainian government has taken the extreme step of prohibiting
men 18 to 60 from leaving, with few exceptions.
All this has forced many Ukrainian men who don’t want to serve into taking illegal routes into Hungary, Moldova and Poland and
other neighboring countries. Even among those convinced they fled for the right reasons, some said they felt guilty and ashamed."
"Ukrainian politicians have threatened to put draft dodgers in prison and confiscate their homes. But within Ukrainian society,
even as cities continue to be pummeled by Russian bombs, the sentiments are more divided.
A meme recently popped up with the refrain, “Do what you can, where you are.” It’s clearly meant to counter negative feelings
toward those who left and assure them they can still contribute to the war effort."
"Moldova has become the favorite trap door.
Moldova shares a nearly 800-mile border with western Ukraine. And unlike Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, Moldova
is not part of the European Union, which means it has significantly fewer resources to control its frontiers. It is one of Europe’s
poorest countries and has been a hub
and organized crime.
Within days of the war erupting, Moldovan officials said, Moldovan gangs posted advertisements on Telegram, a popular
messaging service in Eastern Europe, offering to arrange cars, even minibuses, to spirit out draft dodgers."
"Volodymyr Danuliv is one of them. He refuses to fight in the war, though it’s not the prospect of dying that worries him,
he said. It is the killing. “I can’t shoot Russian people,” said Mr. Danuliv, 50.
He explained that his siblings had married Russians and that two of his nephews were serving in the Russian Army — in Ukraine."
"Mr. Danuliv, a businessman from western Ukraine, said he wanted no part in the war. When asked if he feared being ostracized
or shamed, he shook his head. “I didn’t kill anyone. That’s what’s important to me,” he said. “I don’t care what people say.”
