Russia Forcibly Conscripts Over 46,000 Residents of Occupied Ukrainian Territories, Coordination Headquarters Reports
Russia has been unlawfully seizing civilians from the Ukrainian territories it occupies and sending them to fight in its military. According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, more than 46,000 Ukrainian citizens have been mobilized against their will.
Source: Ukrinform
Russia’s Forced Mobilization Across Occupied Regions
Speaking at the Third International Conference Crimea Global: Understanding Ukraine through the South, Dmytro Usov, Secretary of the Coordination Headquarters, presented new intelligence on the scale of forced conscription in Russian-occupied areas.
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia has forcibly mobilized 46,327 Ukrainian citizens between February 2022 and July 2025.
“These people were placed into Russian military units and compelled to fight against their own country,”
— Usov said.
This practice violates international humanitarian law and reflects a broader strategy in which Russia exploits the populations of occupied territories to sustain its war effort.
Detailed Breakdown of Forced Mobilization
Ukrainian citizens forcibly conscripted by Russia came from the following regions:
35,272 — Crimea
5,368 — Sevastopol
5,368 — Donetsk region
4,650 — Luhansk region
560 — Zaporizhzhia region
478 — Kherson region
Usov noted that these numbers were gathered by Ukrainian intelligence and later confirmed in negotiations with the Russian side.
For international readers: these regions are Ukrainian territories that Russia occupied illegally following its 2014 invasion of Crimea and its full-scale assault in 2022.
Ukrainians Among Russian Prisoners of War
Usov also highlighted that 16% of Russian POWs held in Ukraine are, in fact, Ukrainian citizens who were forcibly mobilized by Russia from occupied regions.
Among them, 6% originate from Crimea.
Many of these individuals were taken from their homes, given no choice, and sent directly to the front lines—often with minimal training.
Ukraine Prepares Legal Measures to Protect Its Citizens
A draft law is being prepared in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) that would prohibit transferring such individuals back to Russia during prisoner exchanges.
“Exchanging Ukrainians for Ukrainians is a deeply flawed approach. Our goal is to ensure these people do not return to the Russian Federation but remain under Ukraine’s protection,”
— Usov explained.
In several cases, Ukrainian courts have already issued acquittals for citizens forcibly mobilized by Russia who are currently in detention facilities. Their release is expected soon.
Conclusion
Forced mobilization is further evidence of systematic abuses committed by the Russian Federation in the territories it occupies. Ukraine continues working to rescue these citizens, protect them legally, and prevent them from being returned to Russian control.
