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A Russian military court confirmed the dismissal of 115 soldiers in the National Guard unwilling to assist the invading forces in Ukraine.
The guardsmen were sacked earlier this month for their refusal to participate in an “operation” in Ukraine, according to reports.
After being terminated the soldiers appealed the decision. The court’s ruling is the first confirmation from the Russian side of the conflict that soldiers are actively refusing to take part in the invasion.
The Kabardino-Balkaria region military court ruled that the 115 conscientious objectors “arbitrarily refused to perform an official assignment,” according to the Moscow Times.
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The Russian National Guard is a domestic, armed force separate from the Russian military,
A firefighter works to extinguish a blaze after a Russian airstrike hit the House of Culture, which was used to distribute aid, in Derhachi, Ukraine, on May 13.
(Reuters/Ricardo Moraes)
Russian military leaders have been under intense pressure to keep enlistment up and troops mobilized, Officials have already waved limitations such as age caps to allow opportunities those who wish to serve.
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Russian lawmakers passed legislation eliminating the existing age limit on serving in the military on Wednesday.
Russian military service had previously been limited to those between 18 and 40 years old, but the new legislation removes the upper limit. Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to sign the legislation into law, however.
Children have sheltered underground in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion
((Oleksandra Ustinova MP))
“Today, especially, we need to strengthen the armed forces and help the Ministry of Defense. Our Supreme Commander is doing everything to ensure that our armed forces win, and we need to help,” State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said in a statement.
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The Kremlin on Thursday said it “expects” Ukrainian leadership will bow to its territorial demands in order to end the brutal campaign it has carried out for more than three months.
“Moscow expects Kyiv to accept Moscow’s demands and become aware of the de facto situation – the real situation that exists,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said according to a translation by Pravda.
When asked in an interview with a Russian media outlet if the demands extended to “territorial concessions” Peskov responded by saying, “These are not territorial concessions.”
Fox News’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
