Russia’s autumn conscripts, drafted to complete the year of compulsory military service, will not be deployed to war or to serve in the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk “people’s republics” as well as the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, chief of the organisational mobilisation department of the General Staff Yevgeny Burdinsky claims.
“I’ll note that citizens called into military service will not be deployed to military units located on the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to carry out their duties, they will also not be involved in the special military operation in Ukraine,” he is quoted as saying by newspaper Red Star.
He adds that discharge of current conscripts began in October. As of 31 October, 19,500 people have been discharged from the Armed Forces and sent home.
However, it was previously stated on an official website launched by the Russian government that conscript soldiers whose stint in the army ends in October of this year could be mobilised for the war after they were discharged from the army. It was indicated on the same website that conscript soldiers would not be sent into combat zones.
On 22 September, representative of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces Vladimir Tsimlyansky promised that conscripts would not take part in the war in Ukraine; according to him, at the end of their one year of compulsory service they will be discharged and allowed to go home.
On 28 October, Russia’s Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu briefed President Vladimir Putin on the end of “partial mobilisation” in Russia. There has been no official decree to back this claim up so far. According to Shoigu, “the target quota of 300,000 people has been reached; no other mobilisation targets are planned”. Due to mobilisation and draft offices being overworked, autumn subscription will start in Russia on 1 November this year instead of the traditional 1 October.
