Peskov claims Putin has ordered demobilisation of students in occupied Donbas

Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered the demobilisation of students in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts who had been drafted for military service.

Source: Russian Kremlin-aligned information agency RIA Novosti, quoting Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s press secretary

Quote: "The forces of the National Militia have been integrated into the Armed Forces of Russia since the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) joined Russia. Putin has ordered that students are to be demobilised and arrangements are to be made for them to return to the institutions where they are studying."

Details: The occupiers had previously mobilised students in the occupied territories of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.

Peskov says the demobilised students will now be sent home and they will continue their studies.

Why this is important: The Russians are mobilising students and prisoners and sending conscripts to war.

Furthermore, at a meeting in early November between a so-called "DPR enlistment officer" and the mothers of mobilised students in Donetsk, it was revealed that in February, the occupiers mobilised Mykyta Hladkykh, who was still at school.

The "enlistment officer" claimed that the boy was now 19 years old and very much wanted to serve in the military. Even Denis Pushilin, the head of the DPR, allegedly got involved in this; he apparently requested for the student to be demobilised, but Hladkykh supposedly refused.

Hladkykh’s mother said her son was 18; he had been tricked into signing up and did not want to serve in the military. She said her son is now on the front line. 

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