Belarus sends mass subpoenas to people in Gomel

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Belarus sends mass subpoenas to people in Gomel

The Gomel Oblast of Belarus has received calls from the government to enlist themselves in military service. This comes days after Russia's ally Belarus announced the start of mobilization exercises in the Gomel.

The Ministry of Defense has begun sending mass subpoenas to people in the last three or four days, according to Zerkalo, an independent Belarusian news outlet.

According to Andrey, a resident of Svetlogorsk and T-72 tank mechanics, he received a call from the military registration and enlistment office on June 26. They called from the personnel department on Monday morning. They said they would come on June 30, for a couple of hours. "I don't know whether to take anything with me or not," the 37-year-old man told the news outlet.

Many employees of Byelorussian Steel Works were handed the summonses at work on June 28. People who were at home on vacation were called. An unnamed resident of Zhlobin said that no one said anything, but we are in a panic.

People from other parts of Gomel, including Rechitsa, Mozyr, Yelsk and Khoiniki, were also served subpoenas. The report said those who never served in the military were told to enlist. In the Khimvolokne region alone, more than 1,000 subpoenas were handed out.

Doctors and female nurses have been asked to enlist and sign documents that promise not to leave the country. There are allegations that people who are not otherwise fit for military service have been asked to enlist.

The subpoenas don't really indicate the reason why the receiver should appear at the military registration and enlistment office, but they do contain a clause warning legal action for non-appearance.

According to a few who already appeared for the registration, no further proceedings were carried out. Yury, who served in the missile forces seven years ago, was at the military registration and enlistment office on June 29. I don't know the reason for the call. He said it was in connection with mobilization exercises, but they let me go home immediately.

Yevgeny from Khoiniki arrived at the enlistment office and was told that the conscripts were called in to make sure everything was in place. The training camp is connected to the exercises in the Gomel region. Teams are formed from those who have already served. At this stage, everything is calm, they have assembled a team and we were told to go home. There is no urgency. He told Zerkalo that it was to make sure everything is in place.

Since June 22, Belarus has been conducting military exercises in the Gomel region, which borders Ukraine.