The Russian Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers has received many calls from parents of conscripts who have lost contact with their children since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. In some cases, completely inexperienced draftees were sent to war. The participation of conscripts in Russia’s war in Ukraine was confirmed by Ludmilla Narusova, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s Federal Assembly.
A number of Russian servicemen as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin himself have said that neither conscripts nor military school cadets are participating in the war against Ukraine.
“Only professional military are taking part in this operation – officers and contractors. There are no conscripts, we do not plan to do this, and we will not. I repeat, only men who voluntarily made this very responsible choice in life – to defend their homeland are taking part in this operation” Putin declared on March 5.
Whatever Russia’s leadership might be claiming, there is growing evidence that Russia is using conscripts in its war against Ukraine. Before the full scale invasion of Ukraine, the Agentsvo publication, citing the Committee of Soldiers Mothers informed that the Committee had received scores of telephone calls from parents, complaining that their conscript sons were issued weapons and bulletproof vests and urgently sent off to the Ukrainian border.
Ludmilla Narusova, a member of Russia’s Federation Council, also confirmed that draftees were sent to fight in Ukraine. On Friday, March 4, during a Council session she announced the significant losses they were incurring in Ukraine.
“Yesterday conscripts were removed from the combat zone. They were forced to sign contracts, or someone signed for them. But only as a result, out of a company of a hundred, only four survived” Narusova said. This information, she admitted, came from “military authorities”.
Скріншот – ru.krymr.com
Ukraine’s Armed Forces General Staff also confirms that Russian conscripts are involved in the war with Ukraine. The “Search for your own” Telegraph social media channel has information about the dead and captured Russian soldiers, and conscripts captured by the Ukrainian army.
