"I must register first to prove I have never registered": The experience of a Kyiv woman caught in the conscription center's warrant

On March 19, the Ukrainian website "SUSPILNE" reported exclusively that for months, Kyiv resident Irina Khalazidi-Loginoeva has been trying to prove that she was unjustly listed on the wartime conscription list. She has no medical or pharmacy background and has never actively gone to the conscription center to apply for registration.

The journalist investigated the data sources of the "Reserve+" application and the advice from lawyers in such cases.

Irina's account

Irina is a human resources manager at a company. A year ago, she saw an information that she should be conscripted.

"At that time, I thought it might just be a mistake, that I accidentally appeared there, so I didn't pay much attention. But after some time, I thought: 'What the hell is that?' So I downloaded the 'Reserve+' app, updated the data, and the data really came up. It showed that I was a conscript under the category of 'club and library staff,' even an artist. But I'm a language scholar. These data were taken by them and put into all systems, no one did any verification, they could assign any title they wanted."

A call from Kharkiv

Half a year ago, a local conscription center in Kharkiv called Irina. She had studied at their university.

Irina recalled: "The local official said he was issuing a warrant for me because I was listed on the national police's wanted list for evading mobilization. I have neither a medical background nor a pharmacy background, and I have never actively gone anywhere to apply for registration."

Irina again updated the app and found out that she had been listed as wanted. There was also a record of a physical examination for the 20-year-old age group. After that, she submitted an inquiry application to the conscription center in Kharkiv and also went to the conscription center in Kyiv where she was registered to reside.

Absurd logic

"The lawyer from the Obolon district conscription center who checked my documents said: 'Our system doesn't have your data, we haven't seen your case.' I asked: 'In this case, what should a person do? Is there a process?' The lawyer replied: 'Well, you can first register, and then we will handle your case.' That is to say, I had to register first to prove that I had never registered."

Meanwhile, at the regional conscription center in Kharkiv, their response was that some data were lost during the battles in Kharkiv in the summer of 2022. Therefore, they couldn't confirm or correct the information.

"Based on the above, we hereby inform you: There is currently no legal basis to remove you from the wartime conscription list." This was the response Irina received after submitting an inquiry to the Kharkiv conscription center.

Ministry of Defense explanation

Oleg Berezovsky, head of the Department of Information Technology of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, explained that the information displayed by the "Reserve+" application comes from the State Wartime Conscription Register. All records come either from paper conscription cards or other national databases.

"There are almost no input errors now. In the era of digital cards, there may be manual input errors. The data is entered based on the individual's tax identification number, manually input by conscription center staff into the 'Reserve' (Оберіг) registration system. In such cases, we recommend submitting a correction request online through the 'Reserve+' application, wait for an operator to verify or correct it. Alternatively, bring your documents to the conscription center where you are registered and ask them to check and correct your information in the system."

Lawyer's advice

Lawyer Polina Maltchenko stated that the entry of Irina's data into the conscription list was unfounded. The procedure violated regulations at multiple stages: including lack of actual summons and ignoring the woman's residence and registration address.

Maltchenko advised, "There is a reason to file a complaint with the regional conscription center, requesting the deletion of the data and its removal from the wartime conscription list, arguing that the person does not fall within the scope of wartime conscription and should not be automatically registered. If this step is ineffective, it is necessary to appeal to the higher conscription center. If, for example, it still doesn't work and you keep getting evasive responses—then it is necessary to take legal action, requesting a court ruling to confirm that these actions are illegal and unconstitutional."

This week, Irina has been removed from the wanted list, but the authorities have not acknowledged the illegality of the registration. Therefore, she will continue to submit applications and complaints, requesting her removal from the conscription list. If that is not enough, she will go to court. "I don't know where my data will go or who will handle them. I shouldn't be afraid for my life and my reputation."

Original: toutiao.com/article/1860095898043472/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.