There's been a few videos over the last few days of how men are being forcable taken in the DPR by Russian soldiers
meduza.io/feature/2022/04/12/vseh-muzhchin-puskayut-na-pushechnoe-myaso
“All men are allowed to be cannon fodder” Many residents of the DPR have been hiding from forced mobilization for war for 50 days. Here is the story of one of them
I'm afraid to talk about myself. But in short, I'm twenty-two years old. Last year I graduated from the university, but I won’t say who I studied for for security reasons. Born in Lugansk, but spent all his life in Donetsk. We have a small city - even what I said, with all the vagueness, may be enough for me to be identified. I agreed to give an interview out of desperation. I don't see life here.
And
Because of the massive conscription [to the war], virtually the entire male population, regardless of loyalty or political persuasion, is now simply hiding. Everyone is sitting at home. Nobody goes out [on the street]. None. The call affects everyone under the age of sixty. My father is only fifty-two, he hides with his parents at home.
Now there are rumors that door-to-door rounds have begun. It's not even a matter of subpoenas, and it's not about catching those who got caught on the street. They [representatives of the DPR] go from house to house. I don't know if they're breaking down the doors or not, but they're looking for conscripts. Therefore, every time when male voices, steps and the like are heard, it is very alarming
And
I hide alone. Once a week, either my mother, or a girl, or a grandmother come to me. The neighbors were told that I had moved out, and they just come to my apartment to clean up. They bring me food, we talk for about an hour. Previously, they came more often, once every two days, but over time, the number of commandant's offices increased, the number of shelling increased, and relatives had to cut the number of visits. You have to do this during the morning rush hour, when it is more difficult to track down an individual car on the street. Otherwise, they will ask questions, check phones.
And
Already a lot of people have been taken. For example, all students - they were called up under the threat of immediate expulsion at the very beginning of the war. And at the enterprises they took documents and created lists [subject to conscription]. My friend's father has diabetes and is in the hospital. They constantly come there and try to get him discharged and sent to the front. The man is fifty-something years old. They don't give a damn about his diabetes.
Recently, my uncle, who works in one of the state structures of Luhansk, called me and said that the command of the Russian troops was allegedly dissatisfied with the recruitment of conscripts from Donetsk - that they feel sorry for the locals and do not take as much as they could, they do not fit into the quota. He warned me to hide even more.
And
Everything feels like a bad dream that has no beginning and no end. We exist automatically. Sometimes, well, they'll bring something delicious to eat. And that's not how distractions work. My friend says he drinks. He lives in the suburbs, his girlfriend brings him food. Drinks every day to comfort himself. From communication with him, I got the impression that he went crazy.
I don't get along with alcohol, so I just sit. I lost contact with almost everyone today. I hope that the people who live here can, if not live at home in peace, at least be able to escape. Even this is a privilege that most of the population does not have.