Covert mobilization reached Moscow and St. Petersburg. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, citing intelligence data, reports that the military commissars of the Moscow and Leningrad regions have received instructions to supplement the military units stationed in Crimea at the expense of local residents.
For this and to strengthen the defense of the peninsula, they decided to send 1,200 Russian conscripts to Crimea.
"Since combat operations are not being conducted on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, these servicemen are not offered to sign a contract, which may indicate a saving of money and unwillingness to pay all the allowances specified by the legislation of the Russian Federation. 1,200 conscripts will serve and die under the blows of Ukrainian troops and at the hands of partisans for a conscriptʼs salary, which is about 5 thousand rubles (approximately $82). Economy Russian state funds will also be saved due to non-payment of compensation in the event of the death of servicemen, because Russia denies the participation of conscripts in hostilities," the intelligence agency says.