<blockquote>'According to our expert analyses there are over 10,000 Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine today.'
- Valentina Melnikova, the head of Russia’s famous Soldiers’ Mothers Committee. (
Source, August 28, 2014)</blockquote>
'..Vladimir Putin of invading Ukraine and of committing a crime against Russian citizens..'<blockquote>'[Valentina Melnikova] had accused the entire high command, along with Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin of invading Ukraine and of committing a crime against Russian citizens by sending Russian soldiers to "the bloody battlefields" without declaring the war, without signing legal papers with the servicemen, without letting Russian mothers know where exactly their drafted sons ended up dying.'
- Anna Nemtsova,
Russian Moms Denounce Putin’s Not-So-Secret Ukraine Invasion, August 28, 2014</blockquote>
'..Russian conscripts are forced to sign contracts saying they’re volunteering to fight with the separatists, said Melnikova.'<blockquote>'Today, in an exclusive interview, Melnikova sounded absolutely furious. She said she was "personally humiliated as a citizen of the Russian Federation by our commander-in-chief's pure, direct crime.” Putin is “violating not only international laws, not only the Geneva Convention, [he] also is breaking Russian Federation law about defense,” she told The Daily Beast, “and as for Vladimir Shamanov [commander-in-chief of the Russian airborne troops], we should be too disgusted to even mention his name - he forces his servicemen to fight in a foreign state, Ukraine, illegally, while mothers receive coffins with their sons, anonymously.”
..
..Meanwhile one more Russian draftee, Petr Khokhlov, a serviceman from the 9th Motor Rifle brigade, was captured in the contested Luhansk region of Ukraine. In a
video released by Ukrainian officials, Khokhlov named every commander of his brigade ordering him and other soldiers to remove the plates on their 14 armored personnel carriers and drive across the Ukrainian border. Russian conscripts are forced to sign contracts saying they’re volunteering to fight with the separatists, said Melnikova, and “if the guys refuse to sign, their commanders sign the paperwork for them.” '
- Anna Nemtsova,
Russian Moms Denounce Putin’s Not-So-Secret Ukraine Invasion, August 28, 2014</blockquote>
Context<blockquote>
'..Putin is not our ally or partner, but rather our foe, and make this position clear to him and to the rest of the world.'(Ukraine) - '..war with Russia.''..Directing Missile Shield against Russia.', August 25, 2014</blockquote>