Soldier Russia admitted for the first time that conscripts took part in Moscow’s military aggression against Ukraine on Wednesday (9/3). In fact, President Vladimir Putin had previously vowed only professional soldiers were there.
Since Russia sent troops to Ukraine on Thursday (24/2), reports of young conscripts fighting in the pro-Western country have been widespread.
Rights groups say they are inundated with calls from conscripted families. Mothers of citizens who are enlisting in the military have taken to social media to look for their sons.
Russian defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said almost all conscripted soldiers had been withdrawn to Russian territory. However, some conscripts have been captured by Ukrainian forces.
“Unfortunately, several examples of the presence of conscripts in units of the Russian armed forces participating in special military operations on Ukrainian territory have been confirmed,” Konashenkov said on Wednesday (9/3), as quoted by Reuters. AFP.
A sabotage group from the national battalion attacked one of the units providing logistical support. As a result, a number of soldiers, including conscripts, were arrested.
He said Moscow would take “measures to prevent the dispatch of conscripts to combat areas.”
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quick to say that before launching the attack on Ukraine, Putin told the commanders of the Russian army to “firmly exclude” conscripts from the conflict and vowed to “punish” the officials who sent them there.
Peskov said military prosecutors had been asked to “verify and legally assess the actions and punish the officials responsible for violating this order.”
(afp / sfr)
–
