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Ukraine War: Russia calls up 134,500 conscripts

2022-03-31T15:36:11.330Z


Russia conscripts young men for military service twice a year. According to Defense Minister Shoigu, the recruits should not be sent to Ukraine - but such a statement has already proven to be false.


Enlarge image

Russian conscripts await departure for annexed Crimea (in December 2021)

Photo: Konstantin Mihalchevskiy / imago images / SNA

Since the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine, there have been increasing reports that recruits in Russian units are also fighting and dying.

Also this spring, Russia will call up 134,500 men between the ages of 18 and 27 for military service – but according to information from Moscow, this has nothing to do with the war.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the convening, as several Russian news agencies reported.

Twelve months of compulsory military service for men between the ages of 18 and 27 is stipulated by law in Russia.

Twice a year there are summonses to convene.

The convocation period lasts until mid-July.

According to the Kremlin, slightly fewer men will be called up this spring than in spring 2021. At that time, 134,650 conscripts were drafted - 150 more than planned now.

At the same time, the one-year military service ends for other Russians.

A number of how many conscripts are leaving and being sent to the reserve was not given.

New recruits should not be sent to "hotspots."

A few days ago, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stressed that the new recruits would not be sent to "hotspots" - i.e. crisis areas.

For most of them, a training phase of three to five months begins now.

However, a lawyer representing several soldiers who refused to fight in Ukraine said that under Russian law, conscripts could also be sent to combat zones after basic training.

Russian troops invaded neighboring Ukraine on February 24.

Barely two weeks later, Russia admitted the use of conscripts, which President Putin had repeatedly denied.

He had claimed that only experienced soldiers and officers would fight in Ukraine.

At the time, the Kremlin promised that the military prosecutor's office would investigate such cases and punish those responsible.

According to US information, Russia moved into the country several weeks ago with almost all of the troops that had been assembled along the Ukrainian border before the invasion.

"Almost 100 percent" of the "combat force" that has been massed on the Ukrainian border in recent weeks is now in Ukraine, said US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby.

According to Western sources, Russia deployed more than 150,000 troops at the borders before beginning its attack on Ukraine.

According to information from Moscow, 1,351 Russian soldiers have now died and 3,825 are said to have been wounded.

However, NATO assumes that the numbers are actually much higher.

Accordingly, between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers have already been killed.

muk/dpa/Reuters

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-03-31

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