Dodging the draft: Ukraine’s struggle for soldiers

Two men's stories of avoiding the draft.

To satisfy a growing need for soldiers, authorities in Ukraine appear to be taking ever more drastic measures, including forcibly pulling men off the street to check their credentials.

But many men in Ukraine feel the war is not for them, and decide to flee overseas rather than to stay and fight. We speak to Artem and Oleh, two young men who avoided the draft, and ask them why they left and whether they regret their decision.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Anastasiia Levchenko and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sara Wadeson. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

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