Russian conscripts, mostly convicts, are being deployed in Luhansk Oblast

IRYNA BALACHUK – THURSDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2022, 14:52

PHOTO: CONSCRIPTED RUSSIANS. A SCREENSHOT FROM THE VIDEO OF THE RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE 

Russian conscripts have started arriving in Luhansk Oblast. The vast majority of them are men who were serving sentences in Russian prisons at the time of conscription.

Source: Serhii Haidai, Head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, during a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center/Ukrinform on 13 October

Quote from Haidai: "Conscripts are being deployed in the occupied territories. These are the newly drafted [soldiers] [Haidai is referring to the most recent wave of mobilisation that Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on 21 September - ed.]. There are both civilians and citizens of the Russian Federation who were serving sentences in prisons [at the time of conscription]; that is, convicts have been deployed [to fight in Ukraine]. And quite a lot of them at that."

Details: The head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration also added that the Russians have stopped allowing civilians to leave the occupied territories.

Haidai believes that the occupiers intend to use Ukrainian civilians as human shields for their soldiers.

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