Berlin: The number of German military refusing to continue service grew almost 500% in 2022 year-on-year due to the conflict in Ukraine, the German Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions said on Friday.
“In 2021, the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions received 201 applications for refusal of military service, and in 2022 there were a total of 951 applications submitted,” a spokesperson told German media group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
The spokesperson also said that after the abolition of general conscription in 2011, only those who already serve in the German armed forces and refuse to continue their military service are considered “decliners.”
RND said, citing the decliners, that many chose separation from service to avoid potential involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
UNI/SPUTNIK
