Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia has not dispatched or dispatched conscription or reserve forces to fight in Ukraine.
“We emphasize that conscripts are not participating in hostilities, nor are they participating in hostilities, and there is no additional call for reservations,” Putin said at an International Women’s Day television event.
Putin also said that the invasion of Ukraine was “by professional military personnel,” according to state media. “I am convinced that they will ensure the security and peace of the Russian people,” he added.
Since the beginning of the conflict on February 24, there has been speculation that Russia has used conscripted soldiers. That is, after the Union of the Committees of Mothers of Russian Soldiers claimed to have been forced or pressured to sign a contract to become a soldier.
“Mothers say their sons are forced to call them and sign the contract. Olga Larkina, chairman of the Russian Soldier’s Mother’s Committee, told the Russian media. “The parents in contact said that their sons were taken to military officers and stamped. That’s all. Now they are contract soldiers.”
Putin’s allegations arose after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought expansion of the humanitarian corridor and further support from the Red Cross on Tuesday.
In a video address from an undisclosed location, he said the child died of dehydration in Mariupol’s as a sign of how desperate the Mariupol’s population had become. “Russian troops can shoot this transport along the way,” he said, as there was no firm agreement on the route from Mariupol.
Zelensky then accused the International Red Cross of “prohibiting the use of the emblem in our cars,” but did not provide details. The video of the bus from Smy to Mariupol has a sign with a red cross on the side, but it’s not clear who put it there.
The president again sought air support from Western nations. On Monday, Polish officials said they would not provide fighters to Ukraine, but the United States and NATO said it was a non-starter to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
On Monday, Moscow again invaded Ukraine, including recognizing Ukraine as part of Russia and the eastern region dominated by Moscow-backed separatist fighters as independent. Announced a series of requests to thwart. Ukraine also insisted on changing the Constitution to ensure that it did not participate in international organizations such as NATO and the EU.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jack Phillips is the latest news reporter for The Epoch Times, based in New York.