The head of the Chita administration, Alexander Sapozhnikov, announced on his Telegram channel that he stepped down of his own accord to volunteer for a military operation in Ukraine.
“I have chosen to go where the need is greatest today,” he wrote. “As a paratrooper with combat experience, as a citizen, I cannot stay away from the crucial battle for our homeland and the future our ancestors entrusted to us.”
Sapozhnikov has already taken part in hostilities. He served in the North Caucasus and was involved in the anti-terrorist operation in Chechnya.
“My duty and calling is to stand up for our country again,” he added.
The former mayor concluded his statement by wishing happiness and well-being to the residents of the city.
The Chita administration confirmed to reporters that Sapozhnikov resigned from the post of chairman of the board. “Yes, I stepped down; discussions about personal intentions are natural. He has been appointed as acting [first deputy head] Andrei Viktorovich Grenishin,” the administration’s press service reported.
The governor of the Trans-Baikal Territory, Alexander Osipov, told news agencies that he spoke with Sapozhnikov several times about the decision to join the military operation.
“It was a difficult choice, not an easy one. On one side, the city requires attention and management, and on the other, a special military operation has become the top priority. I respect his decision and support him in every aspect, including mobilization efforts,” he said.
Alexander Sapozhnikov was born in 1976 in Krasnokamensk, Trans-Baikal Territory. From 1994 to 1996 he served in the airborne troops and fought in the first Chechen campaign. After his service, he worked in a military unit in Chita until 2009. He served as a member of the Chita City Duma from 2014 to 2019 and has led Chita’s administration since 2019. He is married and has a daughter.
Who else went to Ukraine?
In mid-October, the former Krasnodar mayor and deputy of the State Duma from Krasnodar Territory, Yevgeny Pervyshov, announced that he had volunteered for the military operation zone.
“The partial mobilization decision did not affect me. I meet most of the criteria, and my health is normal. During his service in the Russian army from 1994 to 1996, he saw action in hot spots,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Sergey Sokol, a deputy in the United Russia faction and previously awarded the rank of intelligence major, stated his intention to volunteer at the Moscow military commissariat.
State Duma deputy Oleg Golikov from the Chelyabinsk region spoke about his own move to the military operation zone: “I defended my homeland 34 years ago. And now I protect it again.”
Following mobilization announcements, Evgeny Makarov, the chief federal inspector for Kamchatka Territory, wrote to Yury Trutnev, the presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, seeking permission to travel to Donbass.
In September, Sergei Aksyonov, head of Crimea, said his son had decided to go to Ukraine. Aksyonov added, “Dad, they called from the military registry and supplies office, I can’t stay away from this situation.”
And who’s left
After mobilization was announced, several State Duma deputies signaled they were ready to go to the front, according to Kommersant. The exact number remains unclear, as some lawmakers preferred to proceed discreetly or travel to Donbass on business. According to article 18 of Russia’s mobilization law, deputies and senators may receive a postponement of mobilization calls.
Leonid Slutsky, the Liberal Democratic Party leader, stated from the Duma rostrum that deputies have work to do in Parliament and must stay focused on daily tasks.
EP deputy Dmitry Vyatkin noted that he and his colleagues could not go to war because citizens depend on them. “Writing a statement and heading to the front is the easiest choice. Behind each of us, behind all our parties, there are ordinary citizens living ordinary lives.”
In October, lawmakers opposed an attempt by Sergei Mironov, the head of the Just Russia – For Truth faction, to lift the reservation on travel for parliamentarians. Dmitry Gusev, the first vice-president of the faction, told Vedomosti that the aim of the proposed changes was to equalize the position of deputies and their voters. “For a moment it seemed possible that the Duma might lose one of its party groups. The deputies of Just Russia chose to go to serve, to resign their posts and immediately register with the military enlistment office. The law does not prohibit this,” a representative of United Russia commented.