Mobilization in Russia for December 17–18, CIT volunteer summary
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Russian troops in the "special operation" zone. There he listened to the reports of the commanders on the current situation and actions of Russian troops. As reported, he paid special attention to organization of comprehensive support for the troops, the conditions for deploying personnel in the field, as well as the work of medical and rear units.
“Military correspondent” Anastasia Kashevarova [pro-Wagner propagandist], who is associated with the Wagner Group, raised the subject of lack of gear and poor rotation of the Russian troops, in particular, near Svatove in her recent post. “There are field baths on TV, but this is all window dressing. In the Svatove direction, they don’t wash for months. There is nowhere to wash up. There is no possibility for it. It’s impossible to dry clothes. ... The guys, of course, should have the opportunity to wash, sleep, and relax. Obviously, it’s war. But there is practically no rotation. If they cannot leave their positions, then their suppliers and the state must give them an opportunity to fight and survive.”
Meanwhile, an exhibition of military equipment is being held at VDNKh [permanent general purpose trade show and amusement park in Moscow]. It shows everything that Russian soldiers should have at the front (but not always do): from stoves to socks, and from cans of stew to stretchers. Recall that these items are massively collected in the regions as part of “volunteer initiatives”.
Children from the Kuzbass region recited New Year greetings in a video recorded for the Russian Army, even though some of them are so young that they have only just started to speak. In Kastorensky district of the Kursk region, schoolchildren make greeting cards with a chocolate bar inside to send to the military. This UAZ vehicle was donated by the municipal transport company of Zelenogorsk in the Krasnoyarsk region. After check-ups and repairs, the vehicle will be sent to the “special military operation” area for the needs of soldiers recruited in Zelenogorsk.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense continues to mislead the public, presenting the situation at the frontline as favorable. Thus, a concert was organized in one of the battalions of Logistical Support of Airborne Forces in the “special military operation” area. A musical performance given by the Tula Airborne Forces Unit band in the “special operation” area was meant to entertain the troops and to boost up their morale. Head of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Central Military District reported on the concert for military personnel that was conducted directly at the front line. A mobilized father of two young children Nikolay Lovrishko holds onto memories of his family and speaks about the goals of his mission in Ukraine in another video posted by the Ministry of Defense. He says that he fights "first of all for his family, but also for the country."
Vladimir Filimonov, 30, a mobilized serviceman from the village of Nizhny Karachan, Voronezh region, was less lucky: he was killed in the war. Aleksandr Boltachyov, born in 1996 in Kytino, Tula region, was also killed. He was called up to the war on September 28. Dandar Tsyzhipov from Ulan-Ude, born in 1990, was mobilized on September 23 and killed on December 13.
In 2022, Moscow courts registered a record number of lawsuits filed against military commissariats [enlistment offices]. Over the past two years, the number of administrative claims filed by Moscow residents against military commissariats has increased 3.6 times — from 416 to 1495 (as of December 18, 2022). An administrative claim challenges the legality or validity of the actions, inactions, or decisions of public authorities and officials. As of 2021, the number of complaints against military commissariats has increased. In three months since the mobilization began (September 21), the courts have accepted 292 lawsuits against military commissariats – slightly fewer than in all of 2017. The courts rejected 47% (578) of all claims. 12% (146) of claims were fully or partially granted.