Russian reservists who don’t want to fight in Ukraine live dangerously. Dimitri is one of them and he should have been at the front a long time ago. But he says: “Anyone who takes part in this outrage will remain defiled for the rest of his life.” Which is why he went into hiding – and lives in constant fear.
Dimitri is a reservist in the Russian army and he should have been fighting against Ukraine long ago. But the young man does not want to go to the front. “Anyone who takes part in this outrage will remain defiled for the rest of their lives,” says Dimitri. In order not to have to join the military, he plays a risky game of hide-and-seek with the authorities.
“Category 1, health status B” is in Dimitri’s military record. This makes him one of the men who were the first to be drafted during the partial mobilization at the end of September. But Dimitri ignored his call-up order and has lived in constant fear of being arrested ever since. Neither his true name nor his whereabouts may be given – those were his conditions for an interview. When talking, Dimitri hides his face with a hood.
Since President Vladimir Putin announced mobilization at the end of September, hundreds of thousands of reservists have had to report for duty. But some – nobody knows how many – did not follow the order. Theoretically, it is possible to be released for professional or health reasons. However, it is uncertain whether such an application will be approved. Many men fled abroad to avoid being sent to the front.
Conscientious objectors who could not or did not want to flee use tricks to avoid forced conscription or imprisonment. Dimitri’s mobilization order was delivered to his old place of residence, where he no longer lives. He shows his passport, which also shows his former address. “The property management there got my summons and tried to serve it to me. But they couldn’t because I hadn’t lived in the building for more than three months,” says Dimitri.
Dimitri is in his mid-20s and did part of his military service in the paratroopers, an elite unit. Eight men in his circle of acquaintances were drafted. Some managed to be freed, others are now fighting in Ukraine. Dimitri definitely doesn’t want that. For him, the Russian military operation in Ukraine is a “barbaric act, an absolute crime.” He has relatives in Ukraine and dreams of meeting them one day.
In order not to attract attention, Dimitri only moves in his region and works from home for an IT company abroad. Strict “digital hygiene” is important, says Dimitri. That means he’s using tools that prevent his phone or computer from being tracked. And he avoids surveillance cameras so facial recognition software doesn’t identify him.
In his deep, calm voice, Dimitri talks about other tactics for escaping military service: moving and not registering, “settling in a godforsaken town” or going into hiding in a big city. But the fear remains. Another refuser decided not to be interviewed by AFP at the last moment for fear of attracting attention.
It would have been safest to leave the country before being drafted. But Dimitri stayed because he didn’t want to leave his girlfriend and her child behind. Leaving the country is now dangerous because conscripts can be arrested at the border.
Dimitri is concerned about rumors of an imminent second wave of mobilization and fears that military commissariats are getting better at tracking down holdouts. He also does not rule out the possibility that someone will denounce him. If caught, he faces charges of insubordination.
Nevertheless, he will not go to the front. “I’d rather go to jail,” says Dimitri. “And if Ukraine wins, I will stay here in Russia and do everything to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”
