Officers raid Kyiv night spots in search of war dodgers

Ukrainian military recruitment officers have raided restaurants, bars and a concert hall in Kyiv, searching for men who are not registered for conscription.

Officers reportedly descended on Kyiv's Palace of Sports venue after a concert on Friday night by Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy.

Video footage aired by local media outlets appears to show officers stationed outside the doors of the concert hall intercepting men as they exit.

In the footage, officers appear to be forcibly detaining some men.

Checks were also conducted at Goodwine, an upscale shopping centre, and Avalon, a popular restaurant.

It is unusual for such raids to take place in the capital, and reflects Ukraine's dire need for fresh recruits.

All Ukrainian men aged 25-60 are eligible for conscription, and men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country.

Local reports said raids were also conducted in clubs and restaurants across other Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Dnipro in eastern and central Ukraine.

Ukraine has intensified its mobilisation drive this year.

A new law came into effect this spring stipulating that those eligible for military service must input their information into an online system or face penalties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrapped up a European tour late last week to drum up support for his country's war effort.

With the help of Western investment, he wants to significantly expand arms production in his country, which has been at war with Russia for over two years, he said on Saturday.

"Our industrial capacity allows us to produce far more drones, more shells, and military equipment than our country's financial capabilities allow," Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

The West could provide the money, he said, especially since many partners are currently unable to adequately help Ukraine due to a lack of their own weapons.

"Also, some partners have special technologies that can be used in Ukraine right now," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader thanked all those who had already invested in his country's defence sector - particularly in the production of drones.

Meanwhile, Zelensky that Russian forces had tried to oust Ukrainian troops from positions in Russia's Kursk border region, but that Kyiv's forces were holding their lines.

"Regarding the Kursk operation, Russia tried to push back our positions, but we are holding the designated lines," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

Russia's defence ministry said on Friday that its forces had recaptured two villages in the border Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops launched a mass incursion in August.

Zelenskiy has acknowledged that the Ukrainian advance into Kursk was intended to draw Russian troops away from frontline positions in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces have been making steady gains in recent months.

Zelenskiy said that in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, partly held by Russian forces, "there are very difficult conditions, with harsh enemy actions. But the resilience of our units is crucial. Everything depends on our resilience".

Russia's defence ministry on Friday announced the capture of Ostrivske, a village on a reservoir near the town of Kurakhove, a key Russian target in its advance through Donetsk region.

Ukraine has not acknowledged the loss of the village, but military bloggers have reported Russian advances in the area.

Prosecutors in Donetsk region on Saturday said two people were killed in Russian strikes on villages near Kurakhove.

with dpa and reuters