The parents of the conscripts who survived the sinking of the cruiser Moskva have learned of the plans to send their sons back to the combat zone on the patrol ship Ladny. They demand that the authorities resolve the issue and keep their children from being involved in the war, Novaya Gazeta Europe reports.
In their letter to the military prosecutor's office in Sevastopol, the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers and the Commissioner for Human Rights, the signatories say that the conscripts have yet to be transferred to dry land, contrary to the promises. According to their parents, the men are being kept on the patrol ship Ladny, which was commissioned in 1981.
The sailors' relatives claim that the ship is in need of repair and is not fit for action. The letter says there are now 49 conscripts from the Moskva cruiser on board the ship. Many of them are unwilling to take part in military operations ever again.
The flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva, sank on April 13. The Ukrainian side said the ship had been hit by missiles. However, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the cruiser's “ammunition had detonated”, which resulted in a fire, and then the ship sank “in the conditions of stormy waves” while being towed to the port. The ministry also claimed that “the entire crew had been evacuated.”
Later, the Defense Ministry reported one sailor dead and 27 missing. However, families of at least ten conscripts who served on the Moskva still cannot find any information about their missing sons. The authorities not only conceal information about the dead, but also put pressure on the sailors' families.
Anna Titova