Trapped and forced to fight: Donetsk men apprehended at border and sent to the front lines
Men from the occupied Donetsk region find themselves unable to leave as barrier troops block their path wherever they go, detain them, and send them to the front lines, said Alexander Vaskovskyi, the leader of the so-called 'DPR Miners' Union,'
According to him, Russia has established barrier troops on the border with the Donetsk region to prevent men from leaving the Donbas and to force them into the conflict against Ukraine.
"In 2022, many were mobilised in the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) or went as volunteers. Many people said, 'if you fight like this, fight on your own.' This led to a migration from the DPR to the LPR and other regions of Russia. What did we see? We saw the organisation of barrier troops. According to an order from Governor Golubev, the border between the LPR and DPR is enforced like state borders, creating a no-go zone,” Vaskovskyi explained.
The so-called 'union leader' claimed that men from Donetsk are being treated like convicts and prisoners at the borders. As soon as they arrive at a checkpoint, they are automatically detained.