More than 40,000 students marched in Berlin against proposed changes to Germany's military service policy, according to Al Jazeera.
Haaretz reported that only 16 ultra-Orthodox men evading military service were arrested in the first half of 2026, as enforcement appeared to slow.
Protest organisers say they fear voluntary military service, introduced in January, could be a step toward mandatory conscription.
Herve Carresse, identified as a French colonel, told Russian state media that Ukrainians are being seized from the streets for front-line service with little training, a claim that could not be independently verified.