On Russian social networks, messages appeared from several Russian regions, for example, Murmansk and Kaliningrad regions, testifying that conscripts from local military units are being transferred to Kursk region. It is mainly about stories of mothers or wives of Russian conscripts. They claim that a special “Kursk battalion" and that all inquiries from relatives to the military command have so far been unanswered.
Conscripts can be assigned to serve the rear: to provide logistics, to prepare fortification facilities and guard military equipment, military analyst Jan Matveev told DV. He doubts that poorly trained soldiers will be sent to the front line. At the same time, he specifies that there are no safe places in this region. “Logistics routes are subject to shelling - with artillery and drones. In addition, small Ukrainian intelligence groups periodically sneak in. I.e. whatever the conscripts in the Kursk region are formally engaged in, they can become participants in full-fledged combat operations."
20 conscripts have disappeared without a trace in the Kursk region
There are at least 20 conscripts who have disappeared without a trace in the Kursk region so far, and they may be in captivity of the Ukrainian units. Their relatives recognized some of them in a video of the Ukrainian project "I want to find you". According to Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Sirsky, more than 100 Russian soldiers have been in Ukrainian captivity since August 6.
So far, the Russian authorities have not made official statements about the participation of conscripts in the war against Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly said that conscript soldiers will not participate in the so-called “special military operation". But apparently the state's attitude to this issue is changing.
Relatives of captured conscripts seek help from Putin
After the start of hostilities in the Kursk region, several petitions appeared on the site change.org to prevent the participation of conscripts in the hostilities. About 10,000 people have signed three of them, addressed to Russian President Putin, in nine days. As one of the petitions says, “yesterday's students can only carry weights and dig with a shovel" - they cannot fight with the professional Ukrainian army.
Another petition calls for the exchange of conscripts caught in Ukrainian captivity. They should be given the status of “veterans in hostilities,", compensated and given guarantees like mercenaries, says the document addressed to Putin. “They left our sons without the necessary support", note the authors.
What the conscripts' relatives say
Nadezhda from Tyumen, who is trying to return her relative, who was conscripted in the Russian army and disappeared in the Kursk region, tells DV that “the authorities are inactive", and in the military district they told her that they had no information about her a relative has been captured.
Svetlana Plesovskaya of Komi also calls for all conscripts to be removed from the combat zone. “Don't kill our children, give them back to us," she insists in Telegram.
In a video circulated on Ukrainian social networks, blindfolded young people claim to be Russian conscripts captured by Ukrainian units. “We are conscripts, we defended the defense in the Kursk region, after which we were captured. We are asking you to exchange us for fighters from the "Azov" regiment, says one of them. According to the Association of the Families of the Defenders of Azovstal, there may be about 700 fighters in Russian captivity. “Financial Times" informs that negotiations have begun between Ukraine and Russia on the exchange of prisoners of war.
What can relatives of conscripts do?
Formally sending conscripts to the territory of the Russian Federation does not contradict the laws, the human rights project "Seize the Forest" notes. But before that, the young soldiers must have served at least four months and received a military specialty. If parents of conscripts have doubts about sending their children to the combat zone, they can file a complaint with the administration of the Russian president, the ombudsman, the military prosecutor's office and the investigative committee. The human rights organization recalls that in February 2022, mothers managed to withdraw their children from the combat zone.
The command in various military units of Russia forces conscripts to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense, the coordinator of “Capture the forest" told DV. Ivan Chuvilyaev. “They are convinced by proven old methods - with money. I.e. - you will earn and be able to send money to your mothers." Chuvilyaev says that so far not a single case of desertion of conscripts is known, but he is convinced that they will soon become many - as in the case of the failed offensive of the Russian army in the Kharkiv direction.