Gearing Up for More War in Ukraine?

In spite of near continuous ceasefire breakages on both sides in Ukraine, media has turned its attention elsewhere, especially to Greece and China.

Today I have some Ukraine anecdotes from reader Steven, who lives in Prague. He has family ties to Ukraine. Steven writes ....

Hi Mish,

Here are two forced conscription "recruiting" news items.

• Recruiters waited inside the doors of a large bread factory one morning last week as 300 workers were coming in. They checked the worker's documents and gave virtually all the males summons to report to the military.
• In Odessa, the head of the Vojnkomat announced that all men between the ages of 20 and 60 are required to visit the recruiting offices! No one will go, of course.

Ukrainians who come to the West to work - usually illegally - are frequently subjected to enormous difficulties.

My new son-in-law, who is 19 1/2, came for our wedding and is trying to stay and work. The military would grab him on his 20th birthday and he wouldn't be permitted to cross the border again if he were to return now!

We found him an unskilled construction job (illegal) in the town of Pisek, CZ. The pay is Kc 90 per hour (unusually good) and the Ukrainian "mafia" employer provided a flat of about 50 sq meters free of charge (also highly unusual) with a few air mattresses.

Nine Ukrainian men live in that small flat. My son-in-law broke his foot on the 9th day. He has no health insurance, of course. The employer has been promising to pay everybody for the first month's work, but keeps postponing his visit.

No one can go to the police because they are working illegally. The expectation is that they will get paid, but you never know.

Steven

Here is a snip translated from Ukrainian on new rounds of forced recruitment. I don't have a link to the original article.

In the Reni, Odessa region of Ukraine, recruiter Igor Skrypnyck ordered men to show up for military service. The order applies to men aged 20 to 60 years who have not yet received a summons. The military commissar also prohibits men from changing their place of residence without notifying the military. Odessa lawyer Oleg Obukhov says the order is legal and not contrary to the Law of Ukraine on mobilization preparation and mobilization.

More War?

This latest expansion in forced recruitment all the way up to age 60 suggests one of two things.

1. Ukraine is planning another offensive
2. Ukraine believes the separatists are planning another offensive

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com