The head of the Chita administration, Alexander Sapozhnikov, said on his Telegram channel that he resigned of his own free will to volunteer for a military operation in Ukraine.
“I have decided to go where it is most needed today,” he wrote. “As a paratrooper with combat experience, as a citizen, I cannot stay away from the fateful battle of our Motherland for the right to the future we received from our ancestors.”
Sapozhnikov has already participated in hostilities. He served in the North Caucasus and participated in the anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya.
“My duty and calling is to once again stand up for our country,” he wrote.
The former mayor concluded his statement by wishing “happiness and well-being” to the townspeople.
The Chita administration confirmed to RIA Novosti that Sapozhnikov has resigned from the post of chairman of the board. “Yes, I left the post, why can’t we talk about personal intentions. appointed as acting [первый замглавы] Andrei Viktorovich Grenishin,” reported the press service of the Chita administration.
The governor of the Trans-Baikal Territory, Alexander Osipov, told TASS that he discussed the decision to participate in the military operation with Sapozhnikov several times.
“This is a difficult decision, not an easy one. On the one hand, the city that requires attention and management, and on the other hand, a special military operation is now our top priority. I respect his decision, we support him in every aspect in this regard, we do all our mobilization,” he said.
Alexander Sapozhnikov was born in 1976 in the city of Krasnokamensk, Trans-Baikal Territory. From 1994 to 1996 he served in the airborne troops, fought in the first Chechen campaign. After completing his service, he worked in one of the military units in Cheetah until 2009. He was a member of the Chita City Duma from 2014 to 2019. He heads Chita’s management since 2019. He is married, has a daughter.
Who else went to Ukraine?
In mid-October, the former mayor of Krasnodar and deputy of the State Duma of the Krasnodar Territory Yevgeny Pervyshov announced that he volunteered for the military operation zone.
“The decision of partial mobilization did not affect me. But I meet most of the criteria, my health is normal. During his military service in the Russian army in 1994-96, he was in hot spots, ”wrote the former mayor telegraph channel.
Sergey Sokol, deputy of the United Russia State Duma, who was previously awarded the rank of intelligence major Wrote A statement about the desire to volunteer at the Moscow military commissariat.
State Duma deputy Oleg Golikov from the Chelyabinsk region said about his decision to go to the military operation zone: “I defended my homeland 34 years ago. And now I protect.
After the announcement of the mobilization, the chief federal inspector of the Kamchatka Territory Evgeny Makarov Wrote The presidential envoy in the Far Eastern Federal District received a statement and approval to Yuri Trutnev with a request to be allowed to travel to Donbass.
In September, the head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said that his son had decided to go to Ukraine. Aksenov came to me and said, “Dad, they called from the military registry and supplies office, I can’t stay away from this situation.”
And who’s left
After the announcement of partial mobilization in Russia, some State Duma deputies sent statements to their leaders that they were ready to go to the front. As Kommersant reports, there were about ten. However, the exact number is unknown, as some deputies prefer to “go quietly”, as the Communist Party of the Russian Federation put it, or to visit Donbass on business trips.
According to art. 18 of the law on mobilization preparation and mobilization in Russia received a postponement of the call for mobilization to the State Duma deputies and senators.
Liberal Democratic Party leader Leonid Slutsky said deputies from the Duma rostrum have work to do in the Duma: “There are tasks to be completed in a daily format.”
EP deputy Dmitry Vyatkin pointed out that he and his colleagues could not go to war because “citizens” stood behind them.
“Writing a statement and going to the front is the easiest decision. But behind each of us, behind all our parties, there are citizens living an ordinary life.”
In October, lawmakers opposed an attempt by Sergei Mironov, head of the Just Russia – For Truth faction, to completely lift the reservation for parliamentarians. The first vice-president of the group, Dmitry Gusev, explained to Vedomosti that the meaning of the proposed changes is to equalize the position of deputies and their voters.
“For a moment it seemed to me that the Duma might lose one of its party groups. The deputies of A Just Russia decided to leave to serve, to resign from their posts and immediately go to the military registration and enlistment office, the law does not prohibit this, ”the statement said. United Russia Legislation Andrey Klishas.