According to an investigation by the Russian division of the British Broadcasting Corporation and the independent Russian media “Important Stories,” hundreds of Russian new recruits have been deployed to the front lines in Kursk to resist Ukrainian attacks, with dozens reported missing or captured.
Among them, two Russian soldiers who volunteered have already been killed, a fact confirmed through social media posts by their families, as reported by Reuters journalists.
Artyom Dobrodumsky, who received a medal at a children’s karate competition in the southern Rostov region and graduated from an officer school, sacrificed himself at the age of only 22 in Kursk.
Daniil Rubtsov, who grew up in northwestern Russia, received notification to enlist in December 2023 and was killed in action in Kursk on August 7 this year at the young age of 18.
The incursion of Ukraine into Kursk not only caught Moscow off guard but also sparked public debate in Russia about whether inexperienced and untested new recruits should be sent into battle, testing the courage of Russian conscripted soldiers.
Civil society groups in Russia that provide advice on avoiding conscription are concerned that enlistees may face pressure from authorities to sign contracts and become professional soldiers.
The founder of the legal support group “Conscript School,” Alexei Tabalov, expressed worries that enlistees, many of whom are teenagers, are vulnerable to such coercion: “You (referring to the government) can deceive them, manipulate them, extort them, threaten them, use force against them without facing any real consequences.”
In recent days, applicants from regions near the Ural Mountains, the Far East, and Bashkortostan have consulted Tabalov, saying they were informed they would be deployed to Kursk or neighboring border areas like Bryansk and Belgorod.
Tabalov noted that many of the recruits in Kursk have received minimal military training and are treated as “service personnel” responsible for maintenance and low-level tasks, without even being provided with weapons, indicating they are not seen as individuals expected to engage in hostile actions or defend anything.
Reuters could not confirm how many conscripted soldiers have been sent by Moscow to these areas for combat operations since Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory.
In response to media reports about conscripted soldiers being sent to Kursk and forced to sign military contracts, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, “Such reports are generally a gross distortion of reality, and we believe it is unnecessary to comment.”
Following Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk, a Russian military commander in Kursk dismissed parents’ concerns that their sons may be too young or lack combat experience.
Major General Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Chechen “Akhmat” special forces, stated in a video message on Telegram, “We should not turn 18-year-old recruits, these young men, into children who need pacifiers and to be put to bed; today, every citizen of our country, from small to big, must stand in line.”
Russian military analysts believe that the new recruits in Kursk are unlikely to be adequately prepared to face the battle-hardened Ukrainian forces.
After deploying troops to invade Ukraine in 2022, President Putin stated less than two weeks later, “I emphasize that conscripted soldiers should not be sent to the front lines, they do not participate in hostile actions, and will not engage in hostile actions.”
The day after, the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged that some conscripted soldiers were involved in combat in Ukraine, prompting Putin to order an investigation and promise to punish responsible officials.
Under Russian law, Russian men must complete one year of military service before the age of 30, with approximately 280,000 people conscripted each year.
(This article references reporting from Reuters)