Two men agreed to speak to Euronews, on condition of anonymity, about why they decided to avoid conscription.
We are in Uzhgorod in western Ukraine, in Transcarpathia, where a Hungarian minority lives.
The number of graves in the city’s military cemetery is constantly increasing, with religious services held almost every day.
For two and a half years, this place has become a place of commemoration for the fallen fighters of Transcarpathia.
Many men want to escape conscription.
Hidden men
In the first days of the war, Hungarian fathers and sons from Transcarpathia fled to Hungary to escape the draft, but some did not want to leave their lives behind.
Two Ukrainians of Hungarian origin hiding in western Ukraine spoke to Euronews, speaking on condition of anonymity, about the impact of evading conscription.
One of them has been going to work every morning for over two years.
He knows that if he gets caught at a checkpoint, he will be transported hundreds of miles away that afternoon to a recruiting office.
” If we can go, we go; if not, we stay home. But we try to keep each other informed in every way possible.
We call or text each other to say where the checkpoints are.. ” he said.
He shows us on his phone how tens of thousands of men exchange information online to escape the clutches of recruiting officers.
The other man reveals another technique to avoid getting caught.
” My wife walks past me every morning. She makes sure there are no police or soldiers anywhere. That’s how we get to work. And if they appear, we go into the bush. The main thing is to avoid them.. ” He said.
“Pay or fight”
However, if other people get caught by recruiters, they have two choices: pay or fight.
According to the stories of a pensioner, throughout the city of Uzhhorod, bribes to avoid the front lines have increased.
“A boy from the village recently told me that he was released for 800 euros. They gave him no guarantees, but let him out. But some people paid 5,000 euros.” he said.
According to the Center for European Policy Analysis, Kyiv needs hundreds of thousands of additional soldiers to fight the Russian army.