Ukraine's MFA urges Russia to stop military draft in occupied Crimea

Ukraine's MFA urges Russia to stop military draft in occupied Crimea / REUTERS

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine has called on Russia to stop the draft campaign in occupied Crimea.

The Ukrainian government has expressed a strong protest and regards such actions as a war crime. By such actions, Russia violates international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, as reported by the Foreign Ministry's press service.

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• Since the beginning of the occupation, Russian law enforcement agencies have opened more than 200 criminal cases against Crimeans for refusing to serve in the Russian army. Some 12 new criminal cases were opened and seven new sentences were passed in March 2020.
• As of November 2020, over 25,000 residents of the peninsula had been drafted into the Russian army since the beginning of the annexation of Crimea, while the occupying authorities were planning to draft over 2,500 people by the end of last year.