Quote:Mobilization in Russia for Oct. 17-18, 2023 CIT Volunteer Summary
It has also been reported about the death of 19-year-old Kirill Kholkin in the war with Ukraine. He joined the war at the age of 18 as a conscript and had to sign a contract while already on the frontline. After being wounded, Kholkin returned to Russia and had no intention of continuing to fight, but military doctors refused to recognize him as disabled. As a result, he went AWOL. The court sentenced Kholkin to five years of probation, allowing him to be sent back to the frontline. In late September, the family was informed that the young man had been killed.
In the Arkhangelsk region, a garrison military court ordered five years of imprisonment for contract soldier Nikita B. for going AWOL. In December 2022, the serviceman, who was due to be deployed to the combat zone, abandoned his unit and fled home, only to be caught by military commandants in May of this year. The defendant fully admitted his guilt, claiming that his actions had been driven by his deteriorating health and delayed wage payments.
The Volgograd Garrison Court found four military personnel guilty of offering bribes to commanders in an attempt to avoid being sent to the war. The bribe amounts ranged from 10,000 [$100] to 150,000 rubles [$1,500]. All the accused, including both contract soldiers and mobilized soldiers, received suspended sentences and fines. The sentences against their commanders are not reported.
The Mozhem Ob'yasnit [We can explain] Telegram channel, based on statistics from the Judicial Department of the Supreme Court, has reported an eightfold increase in the number of Russians convicted of terrorism in 2023. During the first half of 2023, courts issued 39 guilty verdicts under this article. For comparison, in the same period in 2022, five people were convicted. This explosive increase is primarily linked to a wave of arson attacks on draft offices after the onset of the war and the announcement of mobilization. Investigators have increasingly classified these actions as acts of terror. The penalty under this article ranges from 10 to 20 years of imprisonment.
Children
An article in the 'Draft Offices of Russia' magazine discusses a new model of training for young Russians preparing for military service. According to the authors, it should include sports competitions, militarized tourism and parachute jumps. They suggest that retired military officers should be engaged in teaching at schools, while veterans and Cossacks should play a role in patriotic education.
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." – Thomas Sowell