Concern and controversy: Russia continues deploying conscripts to Kursk region amid rising capture reports
Recent social media posts from residents of various Russian regions, particularly Murmansk and Kaliningrad, indicate that conscripts from local military units are being deployed to the Kursk region. Often, these stories are recounted by the sons or husbands who are serving mandatory military service. For example, the decision to send conscript soldiers to Kursk appears to be planned by the 80th Motorized Rifle Division, stationed in Murmansk.
According to a statement from the relatives of the conscript soldiers, the command informed them on August 6 about their deployment. It is reported that the conscripts are being organized into what is referred to as the "Kursk Battalion." The command of the 80th Motorized Rifle Division has refused to address parents' questions.
Military analyst Yan Matveev suggests these conscripts may be used for logistical support, building fortifications, and guarding military equipment. He doubts that poorly trained soldiers will be sent to the front lines but emphasizes that there are no truly safe areas in this region. "The same logistical routes are targeted by artillery and drones. Periodically, small Ukrainian reconnaissance groups break through," Matveev said. Regardless of their tasks, conscripts in the Kursk region could end up in active combat. Matveev added that conscripts also serve in other border regions, including Bryansk and Belgorod areas, and they too could be used to shore up defenses in the Kursk region.
At least twenty conscript soldiers are reported missing in the Kursk region and may be held captive by Ukrainian forces. Some have been identified by their relatives, who saw them in videos from the Ukrainian project "I Want to Find." A statement from Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi indicates that over 100 Russian soldiers have been captured since August 6.
There have been several petitions on Change.org demanding that conscripts not be sent into combat. The German news agency DW found three such petitions addressed to President Vladimir Putin, each signed by nearly 10,000 people over nine days. One petition claims that "yesterday’s high school students" are only capable of "carrying heavy loads and using a shovel" and are not prepared to face the professional Ukrainian army. Another petition calls for the exchange of conscripts held prisoner in Ukraine and for them to be granted veteran status with full benefits, equating them to contract soldiers. This petition also condemns the possible exchange of "Akhmat" (Kadyrov fighters) accusing them of abandoning their positions during a Ukrainian invasion on August 6.
Nadezhda from Tyumen, whose relative went missing while serving in Kursk, told DW that officials are unresponsive, and the draft office claims to have no information on his whereabouts. She hopes that authorities will heed the petitions. Svetlana Plesovskaya from Komi republic shared similar concerns about her relative being held captive. Her plea to Russian officials, "Do not kill our children, bring them back to us," was shared on the Telegram channel "Astra."
In videos posted on Ukrainian platforms, young men with blindfolds identify themselves as Russian conscripts captured by Ukrainian forces. "We are conscripts who were defending the Kursk region and then were captured. We ask to be exchanged for fighters from the Azov regiment," one of them says. According to the Association of Families of Defenders of Azovstal, about 700 fighters remain in Russian captivity. Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia for a prisoner exchange have reportedly begun.
While the deployment of conscripts to Russian territories does not violate any laws, they must serve four months and receive military training before such deployment, according to the legal group "Idite lesom." If parents suspect their children might be sent into combat zones, they can file complaints with the Russian President’s administration, the Human Rights Commissioner, the military prosecutor's office, or the Investigative Committee. Precedents exist where, in February 2022, mothers managed to retrieve their children from conflict zones.
Some military commanders in Russia are pressuring conscripts to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense, says Ivan Chuvilyaev, coordinator of "Idite lesom." "They're using old, tested methods like offering money, suggesting that the conscripts can support their mothers." Thus far, no cases of deserters among conscripts have been reported, but Chuvilyaev anticipates an increase in such cases, recalling the spike during the failed Russian offensive in Kharkiv.