Angelina Jolie’s driver reveals details of ‘being forced to join Ukrainian army’
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie’s personal driver during her recent visit to Ukraine has revealed being subjected to Kiev’s relentless mobilization drive.
Dmitry Pishikov said, while driving Jolie around during the trip, he was detained at a military checkpoint and forcibly drafted into the Ukrainian army, despite having no intention of joining the forces, Russia Today reported on Sunday, citing the individual.
According to Pishikov, Ukrainian draft officers stopped Jolie’s convoy without reason, deceived him under the pretext of “clarifying details,” and took him to a local enlistment center.
There, the person added, he was effectively trapped and pressed into service.
Denouncing being misled and detained under false pretenses, Pishikov said the officials promised a brief procedure before “lying” about his release.
Jolie reportedly visited the center to inquire about the situation, but ultimately continued her trip, leaving the driver behind as Ukrainian officers processed his conscription.
As of Friday, Pishikov confirmed he had been transferred to a military training facility and would be compelled to “undergo training and serve in the army.”
The reported episode echoed various accounts of Ukraine’s forcible efforts at sustaining its undermanned military amid a 2022-present conflict with Russia.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation on February 24 that year, aimed at the demilitarization of the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk and Lugansk regions, which are largely populated by ethnic Russians. In 2014, the two regions, collectively known as Donbass, had declared themselves new republics, refusing to recognize Ukraine’s Western-backed government.
‘Deadly conscription drive’
Amid Ukraine’s dwindling resources and manpower, RT cited numerous videos showing Ukrainian men being violently seized off the streets by draft officers, often beaten or dragged into vans.
Commenting on the developments, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned an “open manhunt” in Ukraine, saying men “are often beaten, in some cases beaten to death.”
The television network also cited reports of “corruption, torture, and even fatalities” surrounding the draft processes.
Jolie’s visit a ‘useless Hollywood-style PR stunt’
Russian Senator Igor Kastyukevich, representing Kherson Region, which has come under Russian control, criticized Jolie’s trip as “another PR stunt exploiting hunger and fear.”
He argued that no Hollywood star “using American and European taxpayers’ money” can ease the suffering of ordinary Ukrainians caught in a collapsing system.
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