Ukraine war: 'I'd rather go to jail than fight in Ukraine', Russian man says

The six-minute video is shaky. But the contents are fascinating.

In the municipality of Podporozhye, 5 100 miles from Moscow, officials astatine the subject draught bureau are gathering to determine whether section nonmigratory Mikhail Ashichev should beryllium mobilised and sent to Ukraine.

"I'm not a pacifist," helium explains. "If a state was trying to inhabit my Motherland, oregon perpetrate aggression against Russia, I would spell consecutive to the subject enlistment bureau and motion up, without waiting for my call-up papers. But successful this peculiar lawsuit I judge that determination is nary subject menace to my Motherland."

"But our Motherland is successful danger," 1 of the officials insists.

"My Motherland wasn't successful information earlier 24 February," replies Mikhail, referring to the day connected which Russia invaded Ukraine.

Mikhail, 34, is simply a mechanic. Despite Russia becoming an progressively authoritarian state, successful which civilian and quality rights person been curtailed, Mikhail argues that the Russian constitution gives him the close to beryllium a conscientious objector. He refuses to combat successful Ukraine.

"While I was lasting determination saying those things I was precise nervous," Mikhail tells me. "But erstwhile I watched the video back, connected the contrary I saw fearfulness successful the eyes of the radical who were listening to me. I deliberation that's due to the fact that they're utilized to treating radical arsenic objects which they tin determination from 1 spot to another, oregon conscionable bid around. Suddenly determination was I saying the things I was saying.

"Then came the threats. 'We'll archer the constabulary astir this and they'll investigate,' they said. I get the feeling that these radical are terrified of losing control. They're utilized to controlling everything."

According to Vladimir Putin, much than 220,000 Russian reservists person been called up since the Russian president declared "partial mobilisation" past month. Although the Kremlin person has indicated that the mobilisation thrust volition extremity soon, the Kremlin has declined to sanction a circumstantial date.

In caller days Russian authorities TV has broadcast images of mobilised men undergoing grooming successful Russia, implicit with patriotic soundbites from immoderate of the draftees. This week President Putin was shown allegedly gathering mobilised soldiers astatine a grooming crushed successful the Ryazan region, an effort to rally nationalist enactment for the mobilisation effort.

But there's small uncertainty that mobilisation has sparked heavy alarm successful Russian society. Back successful March Vladimir Putin had declared that determination would beryllium nary mobilisation. Only "professional soldiers", helium promised, would instrumentality portion successful his "special subject operation".

All that changed pursuing his determination to denote "partial mobilisation." With the call-up of hundreds of thousands of Russian reservists, the warfare successful Ukraine became overmuch much existent for the Russian public. Suddenly husbands, fathers and sons were being drafted into the service and despatched to the frontline: successful immoderate cases, without the indispensable instrumentality oregon training. For weeks now, mobilised Russians person been posting videos connected societal media, successful which they kick astir mediocre conditions and a deficiency of resources.

"The radical astir maine are terrified owed to mobilisation," Mikhail tells me, "because present this affects everyone."

Following his refusal to fight, Mikhail has received immoderate maltreatment connected Russian societal media.

"He's a coward and a rat fleeing the ship," reads 1 comment.

"A antheral who does this cannot telephone himself a man," reads another.

But what I find absorbing is that Mikhail has received plentifulness of support, too, for the motivation basal helium is taking. Here are immoderate of the affirmative comments:

"Well done, Mikhail, you are brave and honest."

"Refusing to termination is humane and courageous."

"Good man. You're not hiding oregon moving away. You're asking the close question: who was really readying to onslaught america earlier 24 February?"

Mikhail is determined to usage each ineligible means to support his position.

But if helium loses his case?

"When mobilisation was lone being talked astir arsenic a possibility, I had already decided and agreed with my household that, if specified a concern arose, I would garbage to bash this, adjacent if they sent maine to prison. If I had to, I would take prison. That's thing to fear. We cognize that [in Ukraine] radical are dying nether the rubble and parents are burying their children.

The authorities volition see maine a transgression if I don't spell and combat successful this war. But I won't beryllium a transgression from the constituent of presumption of humanity, oregon myself."