BERLIN, Jan 6 The number of conscientious objectors in the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine in 2022 increased by almost five times compared to the previous year, the German Office for Family and Civil Society reported.
«In 2021, the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society received 201 applications for refusal of military service, in 2022 a total of 951 applications were submitted,» a spokesman for the agency told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) media group.
It is noted that after the abolition of universal military duty in 2011, only those who already serve in the Bundeswehr are considered refuseniks in Germany.
According to the RND, many refuseniks justify their refusal to serve by saying that they did not count on military participation in the conflict in Ukraine.