Military service
We’ve all thought of ways to get out of doing things that we don’t want to do, but this Ukrainian man has taken it to the next level. Read on to find out just what he did.
Getting out of military service
Alexander Kondratyuk, 24, married a relative to avoid undertaking military service, compulsory for all men in the country. His wife? An 81-year-old disabled cousin, who he married in the village of Baykovka, not far from the Moldovan border.
Men who are caring for disabled spouses are excused from military service, and the marriage only needs to be valid for a couple of years, after which Kondratyuk would be over the maximum age at which military conscription is compulsory. It would not be surprising to see him initiate a divorce in future.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the 57-year age gap, local officials are investigating the relationship. However, Zinaida Illarionovna defended her husband, describing him as being a caring man who looks after her, hence fulfilling the requirements to keep him out of military service.
Does he care for his wife?
Interestingly, neighbours have told a different story. She lives alone, they say, and her husband seldom appears, only arriving with the marriage certificate when needed to prove his right to absence from military service. Allegedly, her other family members – grandchildren amongst them – visit her much more frequently.
What happens now? Different sources have given different reports. Local commissioner Aleksandr Danilyuk has said that he’s powerless to do anything, as the union between Kondratyuk and Illarionovna is a legal marriage, and the man can prove that he is his wife’s carer.
However, a lawyer disagrees. Roman Korchenyuk makes the point that if there is no “common household”, Kondratyuk can actually be called up to do military service. Having said that, the army have no great interest in investigating the case further – it would perhaps be more trouble than it’s worth. In theory, the army could speak to Illarionovna’s neighbours at witnesses, but it’s unlikely to get to that point.
Whatever you think about the situation, you can’t deny Kondratyuk’s ingenuity. For more crazy stories like this, check out our other weird articles here!
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