As Moscow forces invaded Ukraine, many young Russians became increasingly nervous to be sent to fight. These fears are particularly acute with the annual spring conscription, which begins on Friday and aims to gather 134,500 men for a year of military service.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu promised at a military meeting this week that recruits would not be sent to front lines or “hot spots”.

But this claim was met with skepticism by many in Russia, who recalled the breakaway wars in the South Chechen Republic in the early 1990s and 2000s, when thousands of poorly trained young people were killed.

“I don’t trust them when they say they won’t send conscripts to fight. “They always lie,” said Vladislav, a 22-year-old graduate who fears he will be drafted once he graduates. He asked not to use his last name for fear of retaliation.

All Russian men between the ages of 18 and 27 are required to serve in the army for a year, but most of them avoid the army for health reasons or delays given to college students. In Moscow and other large cities, the share of men evading fines is particularly high.

Although President Vladimir Putin and his officials said the conscripts were not involved in a “special military operation in Ukraine” by Russian authorities, many appear to have been caught in the early days. Videos of the arrested Russians from Ukraine were shown, shown calling their parents and shared on social media.

The mother of one of the detainees said she recognized the invited 20-year-old son in the video despite being shown blindfolded.

“I knew him from his lips and chin. “You know, I know it with my fingers,” said Lyubov, a woman who only asked to be named for security reasons. “I breastfeed him. I raised it. “

The Defense Ministry was forced to drop its statements and admit that some conscripts were “mistakenly” sent to Ukraine and taken prisoner while serving in the supply unit far from the front.

There are allegations that prior to the invasion some conscripts were forced to sign military contracts, allowing them to be sent to fight, a duty usually performed only by army volunteers. Some of the captured soldiers said their commanders told them they were going to military exercises, but they suddenly found themselves fighting in Ukraine.

Lyudmila Narusova, a member of Russia’s upper house of parliament, spoke in early March about an entire company of 100 people forced to sign such contracts and sent to the combat zone – and only four survived. Military officials did not comment on his allegations.

Svetlana Agapitova, human rights commissioner at St. Petersburg, on Wednesday that the relatives of the seven soldiers wrote a letter complaining that the men were forced to sign the agreement and sent it to Ukraine against their will. He said two of them had already been returned to Russia.

In recent years, the Kremlin has featured a growing share of volunteer contract soldiers as it seeks to modernize the military and improve its readiness. The 1 million strong army now has over 400,000 contract soldiers, including 147,000 infantry. If the war continues, these numbers may not be enough to support operations.

Eventually, the Kremlin may be faced with a choice: continue fighting with a limited number of troops and see the offensive, or try to fill the ranks of broader forces and public outrage, which could strengthen anti- draft sentiment and destabilize the political situation. Such a scenario occurred in the ongoing fighting in Chechnya.

Dimitri, a 25-year-old computer scientist, has a deferral that should inevitably be drafted for medical reasons. But he was still nervous, like many others, for fear that the government might suddenly reject some delays to strengthen the military.

“I hate war. “I think it was a complete disaster,” said Dimitri, who also asked not to be identified for fear of repression. “I am afraid that the government may change the policies and I have been able to tackle the project. “They have also been saying for months that they will not invade Ukraine. Why should I trust what they are saying now in the bill?”

The bill would support the bill and make it easier for military converts to recruit conscripts, but the bill is currently suspended.

However, this only exacerbated public anxiety.

Alexei Tabalov, a lawyer who consults with conscripts, said medical panels in recruitment offices often receive young people who need to be removed because of illness. Now, he added, their attitude could be further strengthened.

“Doctors are likely to turn a blind eye to disease conscripts and declare them for military service,” Tabalov said.

In addition to lowering the medical standard of conscripts, there are fears that the government may try to impose some kind of martial law that would ban Russian men from leaving the country and, as in Ukraine, force them to resist.

“We’ve received a lot of calls from people who were scared of mobilization,” Tabalov said. “People today are afraid of everything in this situation.” Nobody thought about the need to study mobilization law “.

The Kremlin has certainly rejected such plans, and military officials say the military has enough contracted troops to serve in Ukraine. However, many Russians are still skeptical of the officials ’rejection, because of their past.

What kind of confidence could there be if one day Putin said that conscripts would not be sent there… and then the Defense Ministry admitted that there was? Tabalov asked.

Existing law allows 21-month alternative public service in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities for those who find military service incompatible with their faith, but conscripts often ignore the requirement for in such service.

Since the war began, Tabalov said his group has seen a huge increase in demand for an alternative service law, which is loosely outlined and allows military officers to easily reject applications.

“We regret that in the current militaristic mood, conscripts may take a stricter line and refuse to request alternative civilian service,” he said.

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