Kyiv calls on Ukrainians from occupied and historical Ukrainian lands not to participate in Russia's war

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest against the so-called autumn conscription, which the Russian Federation will begin on October 1, 2025, including in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine – the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions.

"By carrying out this 'appeal,' the Russian Federation is grossly violating its international legal obligations, in particular Article 51 of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which categorically prohibits an occupying power from compelling individuals in territory under its control to serve in its armed or auxiliary forces," the Foreign Ministry said in a comment.

The ministry emphasized that forced service in the army of an occupying state is a war crime and will not go unpunished.

"The Kremlin is invariably using forcibly 'conscripted' Ukrainian citizens as cannon fodder in its war against their own state, which puts them in mortal danger. Therefore, we call on Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories to avoid this criminal 'conscription' at all costs," the Foreign Ministry noted.

It also notes that Russian citizen conscripts have every right to disobey and sabotage the criminal "decree of the President of the Russian Federation on conscription." If they are called into the war against Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on them to take advantage of the opportunity to save themselves through the "I Want to Live" project and voluntarily surrender to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

"We also appeal to Ukrainians living on historical Ukrainian lands—Kuban, Starodubschyna, Northern and Eastern Slobozhanschyna within the modern-day Krasnodar Krai, and Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, and Rostov regions of the Russian Federation: remember your roots and do not participate in this criminal war against the homeland of your ancestors," the comment reads.

Ukraine also appeals to representatives of all indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation: "This is not your war, this is Moscow's war, which is throwing you into seizing Ukrainian lands just as it once seized yours, and is killing you en masse so that others can live on your lands."

"Ukraine continues to document all violations of international law by the Russian Federation. This evidence will be used to hold Russia's military and political leadership accountable. We call on the international community to increase political, diplomatic, and sanctions pressure on the aggressor state," the comment reads.

Earlier, media reported that Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday, September 29, establishing the autumn conscription of conscripts into the Russian army. It will begin on October 1 and last until December 31. The plan is to call up 135,000 men aged 18 to 30 for military service.