- / Česky / Русский / український /
What is the situation of proletarians who are listed in official documents as men and Ukrainian citizens? Generally speaking, they are under attack from several different sides. On the one hand, there is the deadly invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army. On the other, they are forcibly mobilized by the Ukrainian army and sent to the front, from where they return traumatized, maimed, or dead. Those who evade mobilization or desert are tortured, persecuted, and stigmatized. Many have also died trying to illegally cross the Ukrainian border, which the Ukrainian regime keeps tightly closed. Ladyslav was lucky to survive. He fled Ukraine through the Romanian mountains. His situation has improved, but new threats and attacks continue to emerge. Zelensky’s government is pushing through repressive laws that will target deserters and opponents of mobilization living in European Union countries. “The regime aims to bring back as many cannon fodder as possible from the EU and will do absolutely everything to achieve this goal,” says Vladyslav. In October 2025, we met with him in an Austrian city to hear about the problems deserters face, and we discussed how to defend against them.
Before we even started the interview, it turned out that sometimes the train journey itself can be a problem, even if you buy a ticket. Vladyslav’s journey became increasingly complicated, and the day before the event, he even had to spend the night in a completely different city than planned. However, Vladyslav reacted to the long series of complications with complete calm: “I almost died when I ran for eight days through the Romanian mountains in winter to escape the army and the war. Since then, nothing has fazed me.” In other situations, too, our guest proved to be truly hardened by life experience. He didn’t stress about things that would stress others and calmly accepted organizational complications that left our crew feeling less than calm.
Upon arrival, Vladyslav first spoke to our circle of friends about why he fled and what reactions he encountered from the police, army, doctors, and border guards. The horror was illustrated by photos showing the injuries he had suffered. Then the conversation turned to four main topics:
- First, what repressive methods the Ukrainian state uses to combat desertion and force people to go to the front.
- Second, how it is possible to avoid forced mobilization or flee to one of the countries of the European Union.
- Third, what is the status of refugee men in European Union countries?
- Fourth, what needs to be changed so that refugees who are already in the EU can obtain the best possible status that will “guarantee” that they will not be persecuted or sent back to Ukraine, either during or after the war?
In the ensuing discussion, most attention was paid to the fourth topic. Vladyslav repeatedly mentioned that EU authorities refuse to grant asylum to deserters and other male refugees from Ukraine. They are only automatically granted temporary residence permits. This is disadvantageous for them not only in terms of what they are (not) entitled to in the host country. The problem is also that without asylum status, refugees are at greater risk of being sent back to Ukraine, official harassment, persecution, or criminal prosecution. There was agreement in the discussion that it is first necessary to map the situation and gather relevant information, which will then be published in various languages. Subsequently, it will be possible to organize activities that will put pressure on the relevant institutions to improve the situation of refugees. Specifically, this should mean, for example, ensuring that individuals do not have to prove individually when applying for asylum that they are in mortal danger from the Ukrainian state and its army. Every deserter or man fleeing mobilization is, by definition, in such a dangerous position. This conclusion can be made at a general level, without exception. Our partial goal is to get officials to accept this and automatically grant asylum status to every such person, with appropriate protection from threats from the Ukrainian state, army, courts, etc. However, we are under no illusions: We know that self-defense must primarily come from autonomous structures and activities organized by the working class outside the state and in opposition to states.
We are now continuing the discussion on how to achieve the above and are already taking practical steps. In addition, we also want to develop other related topics from the following list in the future:
- 1. Documentary and legal support for deserters and refugees
– How to collect and verify documents confirming a person’s identity and status in order to protect them from forced mobilization.
– Practical advice on using EU laws on the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons.
– Support in submitting requests to archives, obtaining birth certificates, death certificates, and citizenship documents.
- 2. OSINT and information security for deserters and refugees
– How to safely collect and store information about repressive measures taken by the state without the risk of exposure.
– Methods of digital anonymity, minimizing surveillance by special services.
– Tools for verifying the reliability of sources of information about military operations and mobilization.
- 3. Practical protection and escape logistics
– Advice on safe border crossing, orientation, hiding places, and risk minimization.
– The role of small communities and solidarity networks in supporting people hiding from mobilization.
– Safe transport of pets and psychological support during escape.
- 4. Studying documentation on war and repression.
– How to analyze and document cases of human rights violations and war crimes.
– Creating archives and files that can be used for defense and advocacy.
– The interconnection between human rights protection activities and anarchist practices of solidarity.
- 5. Education and communication strategies
– How to convey information about repressive laws and the risks of mobilization to interested parties.
– Methods for teaching safe behavior without involving the state or bureaucracy.
– Organizing seminars, lectures, and publications to expand anarchist solidarity networks.
- 6. The practice of revolutionary defeatism
– How to oppose imperialist war aggression without defending bourgeois democracy, nationalism, and the state.
– What did revolutionary defeatism mean in past wars, and what can it mean today.