Russian Communist Party lawmakers in the Far Eastern region of Primorye have called on President Vladimir Putin to stop military operations in Ukraine and withdraw all troops from the country.
Leonid Vasyukevich (pictured above), a member of the regional Legislative Assembly, read out a statement at a session held by lawmakers on Friday, saying that as Russian troops are suffering significant losses in Ukraine, there is no way to get any success by military means.
“We understand that if our country does not stop the military operation, there will be more orphans in the country. During the military operation, young men are dying or becoming disabled, while they could be very useful for our country,” the statement said.
Vasyukevich said that the statement was signed by him and his colleagues Gennady Shulga, Natalya Kochugova, and Aleksandr Sustov.
The incident, which has been described as a “provocation” by Russian state-run media, reportedly prompted a backlash from the region’s governor, Oleg Kozhemyako, who called the official a “traitor,” ordering the dissenters to be removed from the premises.
“The action defames the Russian Army and our defenders who are fighting against Nazism. You are a traitor,” Kozhemyako said, addressing Vasyukevich.
The lawmakers then deprived Vasyukevich and Shulga of their right to take the floor at the session. The leader of the Communist lawmakers, Anatoly Dolgachyov, said the deputies’ action will have “very severe repercussions.”
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