Ukrainian bails out of ‘conscription van’ (VIDEO)

A potential Ukrainian recruit has bailed out of a moving van in an apparent attempt to avoid being sent to the front line, according to a new clip circulating on social media. The man reportedly resorted to the measure after being forcefully detained by conscription officers.

According to Ukrainian lawmaker Artyom Dmitruk, who along with several local media outlets shared a 30-second clip on Wednesday, the incident took place in the city of Dnepr (known as Dnipro in Ukraine).

The video shows a man with a bloodied face climbing out of the passenger window of a minivan with government plates and running away from the vehicle.

Seconds later, the camera shows another man dressed in civilian clothes – apparently a recruitment officer – scrambling to cut off the draftee’s escape route.

The potential recruit, who appears to be in poor condition, then desperately tries to hitch a lift, but without much success. His fate is unknown.

Dmitruk, a strong critic of the Ukrainian government who fled the country in mid-2022, suggested that the man had been beaten, and voiced hope that someone had saved him from being sent to the front.

Ukraine announced a general mobilization in February 2022 following the escalation of the conflict with Russia, prohibiting most men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. However, the campaign has faced numerous hurdles, including bribery and draft evasion, with thousands attempting to flee the country illegally over rough terrain, often risking their lives.

Inside the country, the Ukrainian military has gone on a hunt for recruits on the streets and in shopping malls and gyms, often resulting in violent confrontations. In one of the most notorious reported examples, conscription officers allegedly shot and killed the father of a Ukrainian conscript who had been forcibly detained during the campaign as he attempted to release his son.