Regional Leaders Report on Mobilization Concerns and Personnel Reassignment
The head of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, indicated that a telegraph channel message discussing the current mobilization will be forwarded to a different duty location after a video surfaced showing volunteers protesting the lack of artillery support on the front lines. The remarks suggest procedural reviews are underway and that decisions are being made to adjust where affected personnel will serve next. This development follows official scrutiny of the mobilization process and the handling of previously deployed troops as part of ongoing efforts to address field conditions and command responses.
In his transmission, Kobzev described an incident labeled as 1439, referring to a video message recorded by mobilized soldiers from a specific regiment. He noted that he had contacted the military prosecutor’s office within the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to seek clarification. According to his account, an individual was identified as responsible for coordinating with the military personnel. The governor stated that interviews had been conducted and that, in the near future, the affected servicemen would be reassigned to a new duty station. The reported reassignment appears to be part of a broader effort to resolve reported lapses in support and to align assignments with current operational requirements. The announcement also stressed ongoing oversight of the situation by regional authorities to ensure proper conduct and compliance with military procedures.
The governor of Irkutsk also emphasized that the situation is being actively monitored at the regional level, underscoring a commitment to transparency and accountability in the mobilization process. This emphasis on oversight mirrors a wider pattern of regional leaders seeking to manage volunteer and conscript deployments in a manner that addresses both administrative questions and on-the-ground realities reported by troops and their families.
Meanwhile, the head of Tuva, Vladislav Khovalyg, had previously stated via his Telegram channel that contact is being maintained with high-ranking officials in the Russian Ministry of Defense. He mentioned that the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Defense was in dialogue with Colonel-General Viktor Goremykin regarding complaints from mobilized individuals within the Tuva region about alleged beatings while stationed with the DPR People’s Militia and concerns about treatment in the field. The discussion highlighted how regional leaders are communicating with national authorities to investigate and address alleged abuses, and to ensure that reports from mobilized personnel are reviewed through official channels. Such exchanges illustrate the tension between local experiences of mobilization and the central authorities’ efforts to manage the narrative and response to incidents raised by troops in distant theaters of operation.
On February 5, a video message in Tuva circulated on social networks showing a group of local mobilized individuals describing mistreatment, including beatings and threats, allegedly by soldiers affiliated with the DPR People’s Militia. This public clip added urgency to calls for verification and proper oversight, prompting rapid attention from both regional leaders and the Ministry of Defense. The emergence of the video underscores the challenges faced by mobilized personnel who are far from home and still navigating complex command structures, rules of engagement, and the chain of command during active operations. The government’s handling of such reports is often weighed against broader strategic objectives and the imperative to maintain morale among troops and trust within communities that supported mobilization efforts.