'Sent As Cannon Fodder': Locals Confront Russian Governor Over 'Deceived' Soldiers In Ukraine

[Rogue Valley]

'Sent As Cannon Fodder': Locals Confront Russian Governor Over 'Deceived' Soldiers In Ukraine

A governor in Siberia faced tough questions about why young men were sent to invade Ukraine, a testy exchange that comes as the Kremlin moves aggressively to stamp out any opposition to the war with its neighbor.

www.rferl.org

3.6.22
A Russian governor in Siberia was confronted by angry citizens who accused the government of "deceiving" young men before deploying them as "cannon fodder" in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Amateur footage of the testy exchange at a meeting between Sergei Tsivilyov, governor of the Kemerovo region, and locals in the city of Novokuznetsk was posted online as early as March 5. The website of Tsivilyov's administration makes no mention of the meeting, and his office did not respond to a request for comment. But an analysis by RFE/RL reveals that the confrontation took place at the training base of riot police units, whose officers were killed or captured in combat in Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion on February 24. The meeting in a gymnasium at the base for OMON riot police in Novokuznetsk comes amid the Kremlin's rapidly escalating efforts to control information about its war in Ukraine, including a fast-tracked law that allows for up to 15 years in prison for those convicted of spreading "false news" about the Russian military.

As Tsivilyov addressed the gathering, a woman yelled that everyone was "deceived" about the deployments to Ukraine. "No one has lied to anyone," Tsivilyov replied. Another woman in the audience responded: "They were sent as cannon fodder." As tensions escalated during the discussion, a woman in the audience asked where Governor Tsivilyov's son was. "My son is studying at a university," he answered. Members of Novokuznetsk OMON units were among the Russian fighters killed or captured by Ukrainian forces in Bucha, a city some 20 kilometers outside Kyiv, on February 28. Footage from the aftermath of the battle shows OMON gear among dead bodies and the wreckage of Russian military vehicles. Told by members of the audience that "our boys" were unprepared to carry out an invasion and "didn't know their objective," Tsivilyov said: "Look, you can shout and blame everyone right now, but I think that, while a military operation is in process, one shouldn't make any conclusions." "We shouldn't criticize. When it ends, and it will end soon," Tsivilyov added before a woman interjected: "[You mean] when everyone dies?"

Moscow started a new propaganda campaign yesterday saying that it has agreed to establish humanitarian corridors for refugees.

What wasn't said was that this was for only 4 cities - Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy - and that all the corridors forced Ukrainian war refugees into Belarus and Russia.

Ukraine Reports Tentative Progress At Talks; Russia Says Its Expectations Were Not Met

A third round of talks between Moscow and Kyiv has ended with Ukrainian negotiators noting small positive developments in the area of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Russia's unprovoked invasion of its neighbor.

www.rferl.org