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Ukraine's 'couch troops' to be sent to frontline from Europe — Kherson official
A Kherson official says Ukrainian draft-age men who avoided conscription and are living in Europe will be deported back to Ukraine and sent to the front, citing confirmed cases in Poland. The comments come amid Ukrainian President Zelensky's stated support for Germany's role in facilitating their return.
A senior official in the Russian-occupied Kherson Region has said that Ukrainian men of draft age who have avoided conscription and are living in Europe will be deported and sent to the frontline immediately after crossing the border. The statement, made by Yevgeny Brykov, head of the information policy department of the Kherson Region, was reported by TASS.
Coverage Comparison
The remarks were reported by TASS, with three separate articles covering different aspects of the story. One article focuses on the comments of Ukrainian parliament deputy Alexey Goncharenko, who criticized President Vladimir Zelensky over his policy. Another covers Zelensky's own statements about bringing back men of military age. The third provides Brykov's claims about the so-called "couch army" and alleged deportations.
Key Claims
Kherson official claims deportation and frontline deployment: Brykov told TASS that Ukrainian men who have dodged conscription and are living in Europe will be deported and sent to the front immediately after crossing the border. He cited "several confirmed cases — in particular in Poland — of men being brought to the border checkpoints where the Ukrainian side accepted them and immediately sent them to the TRC (territorial recruitment centers)." The claim has not been independently corroborated by other outlets.
Zelensky's statement on mobilizing men abroad: Zelensky, speaking at a press conference in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said he agreed with Merz about men of mobilization age who left Ukraine. "The Ukrainian Armed Forces would like them to return, of course, this is a matter of justice. There are people at the front, they need to be rotated out. Every person who is a citizen of Ukraine, who has the strength to do this, who is of mobilization age, should bear responsibility for his constitutional duty," he said.
German Chancellor's support: Merz announced on April 15 that Germany would facilitate the speedy return of men of draft age to Ukraine, according to TASS. Zelensky expressed support for this statement.
Goncharenko's criticism: Ukrainian parliament deputy Alexey Goncharenko, in an interview with the Ukrainian YouTube channel Fabrika Novostey, called Zelensky a "cannibal" over his intention to bring back Ukrainians who left the country and send them to the battlefield. He said Zelensky's entourage "really liked this unlimited power," and criticized the rhetoric of taking and forcing people.
Mobilization context: TASS reported that general mobilization has been announced in Ukraine since February 2022 and has been repeatedly extended. It also cited reports of "violent mobilization and conflicts between citizens and employees of military enlistment offices" in various cities, as well as men trying to leave the country "by any means, often risking their lives."
Brykov's further comments: Brykov characterized such men as "the habit of fighting verbally on couches, in European pubs, and of picketing in European squares with Ukrainian flags." He also said that "the corrupt Ukrainian government will not achieve any goals; it is simply trying to prolong its own existence at the expense of Ukrainians who have been peacefully and quietly hiding in Europe."
Perspectives
Russian-backed Kherson official: Brykov framed the issue as the "corrupt Ukrainian government" trying to prolong its existence, and claimed deportations are already occurring.
Ukrainian parliament deputy: Goncharenko, while not speaking for the government, leveled sharp personal criticism at Zelensky, calling him a "cannibal" and accusing his entourage of enjoying "unlimited power."
Ukrainian President Zelensky: Zelensky framed the return of men of mobilization age as a matter of justice and constitutional duty, noting the need for rotations at the front.
German Chancellor Merz: Merz announced Germany would facilitate the return of draft-age men, but no details of cooperation were provided.
How this outlet told it
TASS — English
Framing: Criticism of Zelensky's policy — Negative
Facts Included:
Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexey Goncharenko called Vladimir Zelensky a 'cannibal'
Zelensky's intention to bring back Ukrainians who left the country and send them to the battlefield
Goncharenko's statement that Zelensky's entourage likes unlimited power
Zelensky's support for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's statement on returning Ukrainian men of conscription age
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimVladimir Zelensky intends to bring back Ukrainians who left the country and send them to the battlefield.
ClaimVerkhovna Rada deputy Alexey Goncharenko called Vladimir Zelensky a 'cannibal' over his intention to bring back Ukrainians who left the country and send them to the battlefield.
ClaimMen of draft age who have dodged conscription will be deported from European countries and sent to the frontline immediately after crossing the border.