Contra Putin, Russian Govt Admits It Sent Conscripts Into Ukraine

TOPSHOT - Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the National Space Centre construction site in Moscow on February 27, 2022. (Photo by Sergei GUNEYEV / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI GUNEYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Russian President Vladimir Putin has emphasized that, whatever else happens, he won’t let Russian conscripts go into the Ukraine meat grinder.

Russia has mandatory one year of military service for men. On Wednesday, the country’s military suggested that it might have made a bit of a mistake: to the surprise of top Russian brass, it turns out that “the presence of conscript soldiers have been uncovered in units of the Russian armed forces, participating in the special operation in Ukraine.”

The supposed discover came, the military said, after Ukrainian forces attacked a supply column with conscripts.

“A group of soldiers, including conscripts, has been taken captive,” Russia’s defense ministry said in a statement.

The use of conscripts has the potential to be particularly sensitive for Putin, in part because service is mandatory. Reports have consistently suggested that some conscripts are forced to sign contracts to extend their service.

“Yesterday, conscripts were removed from the zone of military activities — they had been forced to sign contracts, or had their signatures signed for them,” Russian senator Lyudmila Narusova said last week. “Only four people were left alive out of a company of 100.”

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in the Wednesday statement that it intends to remove all conscripts from Ukraine.

A number of reports from Russian military funerals suggest that there have been soldiers who died in Ukraine that initially began as conscripts, but subsequently signed a contract before the invasion.

Aleksandr Ivanov of Yakutia reportedly was conscripted before “transitioning to contract service,” the region’s governor said. Ivanov was killed in action.

“Aleksandr was only 22, he dedicated his life to selfless service of the motherland and remained faithful to his military oath until his last day,” the governor said.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Are Russian soldiers captured in Ukraine being shown in photos or in videos? Is there an effective way for the Ukrainians to use such videos?

  2. With no rebuttal possible we can take as a given that the governor has personal knowledge of this conscript’s actions and feelings, yes?

    Fucking bullshit all the way to the top: Young, inexperienced Russian soldiers tossed into the meat grinder on the assumptions of a dictator and his court.

    Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

  3. Avatar for jinnj jinnj says:

    conscript soldiers …sent on what they were told was …what?

    • a training exercise ?

    • pre-spring maneuvers?

    • Black Sea Holiday?

    • a festival of jubilant genocide?

  4. A number of reports from Russian military funerals suggest that there have been soldiers who died in Ukraine that initially began as conscripts, but subsequently signed a contract before the invasion.

    All the dead are volunteers.

    Russia’s Ministry of Defense said in the Wednesday statement that it intends to remove all conscripts from Ukraine.

    Once they’ve ‘volunteered’ to sign a contract, they are no longer conscripts in Ukraine. Mission accomplished!

  5. If only Comrade Stalin knew!

    your war’s goin’ great, vlad
    top notch 10/10

    Glad to see passive voice ass-covering works the same in Russian.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

449 more replies

Participants

Avatar for playitagainrowlf Avatar for baronsieggy Avatar for becca656 Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for psudawnc Avatar for 26degreesrising Avatar for fiftygigs Avatar for darrtown Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for massie Avatar for ericr Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for txlawyer Avatar for philmore Avatar for zenicetus Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for garrybee Avatar for trustywoods Avatar for visionseeker Avatar for emiliano4 Avatar for kovie Avatar for timbomov Avatar for geographyjones

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: