UK Defense Ministry reports that Russia is preparing the necessary infrastructure and measures for military conscription in Russian-occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. A 17 April 2024 decree signed by the pro-Russian governor states this would be the first conscription drive in this temporarily occupied territory since its illegal annexation by Russia in September 2022.
The Ministry write:
- A 17 April 2024 decree signed by the pro-Russian governor of Zaporizhzhia Oblast states that Russia is preparing the necessary infrastructure and measures for military conscription in Russian-occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia.
- This would be the first conscription drive in this temporarily occupied territory since its illegal annexation by Russia in September 2022. It is likely that Russia sees this measure as a way of satisfying the need by the Russian Armed Forces for additional personnel to support its war effort. The effect of the decree is likely to be limited given theta significant proportion of the population of Zaporizhzhia has departed. For instance in Melitopol, the largest city in Zaporizhzhia under Russian control, only 40 of the pre-war population remain and half of those consist of ethnic Russians offered work in the city.
- This decree is also part of a broader campaign by the Russian authorities in the temporarily occupied territories to coerce the population to accept Russian governance. This also aligns with attempts to ensure residents have Russian Federation passports and voted in the recent Russian presidential elections. The Kremlin continues to pursue a relentless Russification policy across the temporary occupied territories of Ukraine.
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