Ahead of Russia's pseudo-referendum show in occupied Ukrainian regions, exiled mayor of occupied Melitopol Ivan Fedorov has called upon all Ukrainian men aged 18-35 to immediately leave the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine to avoid being used as cannon fodder in the army of the occupiers.
He called upon men in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast to leave for Ukrainian-held areas or to Georgia through Crimea and reported that on 22 September, Russians blocked Ukrainian men aged 18-35 from leaving the Ukrainian-held regions of Zaporizhzhia Oblast at the Vasylivka checkpoint.
"The goal of the occupiers is to mobilize [Ukrainian] men as cannon fodder to the front," Fedorov said, reminding that Russian occupiers have already conscripted Ukrainians this way in their proxy states in Donbas, the "Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics."
Russia now holds night ambushes to forcibly send Donbas men to Ukraine war
This warning came one day after Putin announced mobilization in Russia.
Putin announced mobilization in Russia
The following day, on 23 September, Russia started its pseudo-referendum show to annex the Ukrainian occupied territories.
Ukrainian military-aged men urged to leave Russian-occupied territories to avoid conscription
