Unprepared and Undersupplied: Russian Conscripts Face Harsh Realities in Ukraine Conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a significant promise at the outset of the war on Ukraine: conscripts would not be engaged in active combat. However, as the conflict escalates and Ukrainian forces advance deeper into Russian territory, families of young soldiers are raising alarming concerns. Recent communications shared on Russian Telegram channels and other social media have highlighted Moscow's inadequate preparation for the ongoing conflict; it appears that poorly trained conscripts were left to defend critical areas along the border with Ukraine, which Russia has been engaged with for over a decade.
One particularly troubling message from the border regions indicated that when Ukrainian tanks attacked at 3 a.m., the only personnel defending the area were conscripts. A mother of a soldier stationed in Kursk expressed her distress and confusion, recounting that not a single contract soldier was present to assist in repelling the attack. "My son called later and said, 'Mom, we're in shock,'" she shared.
The issue of deploying conscripts is particularly contentious in Russia. Putin's repeated assurance that they would not be sent into combat clashes starkly with the realities on the ground. Family members, particularly mothers and wives of the conscripts, have historically held significant sway in public opinion, especially during times of war. They are expressing mounting anger over the use of conscripts in frontline positions.
An independent Russian news outlet talked to Natalia Appel, the grandmother of a conscript currently missing in action. She described her grandson Vladislav as being stationed without any weapons just a stone's throw away from the Ukrainian border. "What could the boys do? Go against the Ukrainian soldiers with a shovel?" she lamented.
A petition has circulated online, demanding that Putin withdraw conscripts from combat zones, and many heartbreaking messages from families of conscripts reported missing have flooded social media, particularly the Russian platform VKontakte.
Analysts suspect that Russia’s dependence on conscripts is a primary reason Ukrainian forces managed to push into Russian territory relatively easily during their recent incursion. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the chief of Ukraine's military, confirmed that Ukrainian troops have made significant territorial gains, advancing 35 kilometers into Russian-held areas and capturing 1,150 square kilometers and 82 settlements.
In Russia, all able-bodied men are subject to military conscription, with the government typically conducting two drafts each year. Draft evasion is punishable by law, causing significant anxiety among families. Political dynamics around conscription are fraught with historical memory; during the Soviet-Afghan War and the conflict in Chechnya, outraged mothers became a formidable political force against abuses involving conscripts.
Putin's policy changes, including a recent increase of the conscription age to 30, have further complicated the issue. The law generally prohibits conscripts from being deployed abroad and, by extension, from being involved in combat operations. Instead, they have generally been stationed along the country's expansive borders, underestimating their chances of combat. Yet with the surprise attack from Ukraine, many conscripts unexpectedly found themselves on the frontline, completely unprepared.
Russian opposition figures have also criticized the deployment of conscripts at such a critical juncture. The AntiWar Committee of Russia issued public statements condemning Putin’s handling of the military, arguing that the lack of significant military presence along the border during the attack reflects the president's negligence.
Reports have emerged that at least some conscript soldiers have been captured by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the ongoing advancement of Ukrainian troops and the capture of Russian soldiers, describing some of them as very young men. Videos have surfaced showing groups of blindfolded Russian soldiers being led away, highlighting the dire situation.
This is not the first occasion where Russian conscripts were found fighting in Ukraine; their involvement was acknowledged shortly after the full-scale invasion commenced in February 2022, prompting claims from the Ministry of Defense that any conscripts identified in conflict zones would be withdrawn and their commanding officer punished.
As this conflict unfolds, the plight of Russian conscripts remains a critical issue, one that may challenge Putin's promises and further complicate the narrative he has maintained about the ongoing military operations in Ukraine.
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