It seems Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military are not on the same page.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that conscripts had been sent to war in Ukraine, contradicting Putin's assertion that conscripted soldiers "are not participating and will not participate" in the conflict, The New York Times reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The deployment of often young and poorly trained conscripts" in Russia's wars in Afghanistan (1979–1989) and Chechnya (1994–1996 and 1999–2000) was deeply unpopular in Russia, the Times notes.
Russian Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Wednesday that "some of the conscripts" sent to fight in Ukraine had been captured by Ukrainian forces but that "almost all" of them have been recalled to Russia, according to Radio Free Europe.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was told that his order to exclude conscripts from the "special military operation" had been "fulfilled" and has ordered in an investigation to "punish those responsible for not fulfilling that instruction," the Times reported.
-
Film reviews: Roofman and Kiss of the Spider WomanFeature An escaped felon’s heart threatens to give him away and a prisoner escapes into daydreams of J.Lo.
-
Broadway actors and musicians are on the brink of a strikeThe explainer The show, it turns out, may not go on
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rulesSpeed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
The Baltic ‘bog belt’ plan to protect Europe from RussiaUnder the Radar Reviving lost wetland on Nato’s eastern flank would fuse ‘two European priorities that increasingly compete for attention and funding: defence and climate’
-
How should Nato respond to Putin’s incursions?Today’s big question Russia has breached Nato airspace regularly this month, and nations are primed to respond
-
Russia’s war games and the threat to NatoIn depth Incursion into Poland and Zapad 2025 exercises seen as a test for Europe
-
The mission to demine UkraineThe Explainer An estimated quarter of the nation – an area the size of England – is contaminated with landmines and unexploded shells from the war
-
Ottawa Treaty: why are Russia's neighbours leaving anti-landmine agreement?Today's Big Question Ukraine to follow Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as Nato looks to build a new ‘Iron Curtain' of millions of landmines
-
How drone warfare worksThe Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
How far would Russia go for Iran?Today's Big Question US air strikes represent an 'embarrassment, provocation and opportunity' all rolled into one for Vladimir Putin
-
Are the UK and Russia already at war?Today's Big Question Moscow has long been on a 'menacing' war footing with London, says leading UK defence adviser
