The Russian army on Wednesday admitted for the first time that conscripts were taking part in Moscow's military advance in Ukraine, after President Vladimir Putin vowed only professional soldiers were there.
Since Moscow poured in troops to Ukraine on Feb. 24, there have been widespread reports of young conscripts fighting in the pro-Western country, with mothers of conscripts taking to social media to look for their sons and rights groups saying they were inundated with calls from conscripts' families.
On Monday, Putin said he will not send conscripts or reservists to fight in Ukraine and that only "professional" soldiers were taking part in the conflict.
The Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said on Wednesday that some conscripts had been captured by Ukrainian forces.
"Unfortunately, several instances of the presence of conscripts in the units of the Russian Armed Forces participating in the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine have been confirmed," he said.
"Almost all such servicemen have already been withdrawn to Russian territory," he said.
But he said that some conscripts have been taken prisoner.
"At the same time, a sabotage group of the national battalion attacked one of the units performing logistical support," Konashenkov said.
"A number of servicemen, including conscripts, were captured," he added.
He said Moscow will take "measures to prevent sending conscripts to combat areas."
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov quickly said that before launching the Ukraine attack, Putin had told Russian army commanders to "categorically exclude" conscripts from the conflict and vowed to "punish" officials who sent them there.
Peskov said military prosecutors had been asked to "verify and legally assess the actions and punish officials responsible for violating this order."
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
