ERR in Moscow: Russia sending unidentified soldiers into Ukraine
Russia is sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine without documents or modes of identification, meaning many fallen Russian soldiers will remain unknown, a spokesman for the Union of the Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia told ETV.
Once the hostilities end, there will be tens of thousands of people visiting graves of unknown soldiers, ETV reported from Moscow.
The number of Russian soldiers killed remains unknown. Valentina Melnikova, from the committee of soldiers' mothers, said that figure was 500 in August, before the cease-fire was signed and before the latest hostilities began.
“I don't know who has been killed. They send them there without identification and if Russian authorities and separatists do not remove the bodies from the battle fields, then they are buried by Ukrainians, without checking who they are. It is even worse than Chechnya,” Melnikova said.
“When President (Vladimir) Putin and Defense Minister (Sergey) Shoygu say there are no soldiers or officers from us there, then they are talking about people, who have had their identity taken away from them, who are no longer anyone. They are ghosts for the Russian authorities,” she said.
The soldiers' mothers union said Russian soldiers should not adhere to attempts to send them to Ukraine.
Editor: J.M. Laats