A 39-year-old engineer Denis Zhernovoy suffers from varicose veins of third degree on one leg and second degree on the other, with trophic ulcers. According to his wife Marina, draft notices started getting thrown into their mail back in August, however, Denis did not react to them until one had been brought to their door on 20 September, the day before mobilisation was announced.
“He received a notice that stated he needed to clarify certain information. I told him to take all the paperwork with him, if they’re saying that information needs to be clarified, let them, let them recheck whether he’s fit for military service — it’s been about 20 years since he served. A lot changes in life in 20 years. On 22 September, he went to the draft office with the paperwork,” Marina says.
No one at the draft office clarified any information: according to Denis, he was neither asked any questions about the state of his health nor examined by a doctor, he was just handed another notice, a mobilisation one, and told to come back with his bags on 24 September. Which is what Denis did.
“My husband did not dodge mobilisation, he returned [to the draft office] with the same paperwork. Two old ladies were sitting there, they just gave him a signed notice stating he can be sent to a military unit. As in, he went to the unit with the same medical paperwork and without getting examined by a doctor.”
Suffering from varicose veins should have guaranteed Zhernovoy an exemption. According to the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers, if a conscript suffers from varicose veins with chronic venous insufficiency of second or third degree, they should be granted the fourth category of fitness — “temporarily unfit for military service” and exemption from serving for 6-12 months. In the committee’s practice, there have been cases when conscripts were granted a year to get their health in order.
“Our legislature lists the diseases that establish the level of fitness and according to the list, he’s unfit for military service. A surgeon also told him that he was unfit due to this illness. Before the mobilisation notice, we were collecting the paperwork needed for a surgery, seeing as his illness is only treated surgically. But unfortunately, we did not make it in time,” Marina laments.