The Russian-appointed governor of Zaporozhye region issued a decree on April 17, 2024, which makes it clear that Russia is preparing the necessary infrastructure and measures to organize conscription in the Russian-occupied regions of the region. This is written in the daily intelligence report of the British Ministry of Defense, a summary of which was published on the social network X.
This will be the first recruitment of young men for military service in this temporarily occupied territory since its illegal annexation by Russia in September 2022. Experts suggest that Russia sees this measure as a way to meet the needs of the Russian armed forces for additional personnel to support their war effort.
However, the effect of the decree is likely to be limited, as a significant part of Zaporozhye's population has already left the region. For example, in Melitopol, the largest city in Zaporozhye under Russian control, only 40% of its pre-war population remains, half of whom are ethnic Russians who have found work in the city.
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This decree is also part of a wider campaign by the Russian authorities in the temporarily occupied territories to force the population to accept Russian rule. This is in line with attempts by residents of the region to obtain Russian Federation passports and have voted in the recent Russian presidential elections. The Kremlin continues to relentlessly pursue a policy of Russification in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.