What is a conscript soldier?
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on national television on March 8, 2022, to address the accusations that he is sending conscripted soldiers into Ukraine.
Putin claimed his forces do not include conscripted soldiers and he would not be sending additional reservists.
What is a conscript soldier?
Conscript soldiers are selected as part of a mass effort to send military forces to war.
The conscripts do not get to choose if they will be joining the war and are instead pulled away from their loved ones to ramp up military efforts.
Today, a military conscript is also known as a draft which was disbanded in the US on January 27, 1973 - the day the Vietnam War ended.
Which country was the first to use conscripted soldiers?
The use of conscript soldiers dates back to ancient Mesopotamia and Babylonian times when all able-bodied men were required to go to war.
During the Babylonian Era, laborers were required to enlist in the king's military in exchange for farmland, and throughout the Middle Ages, those who were considered land-owning peasants were required to give up one male for military service.
This notion of military defense continued into the 1700s when France became the first country in modern times to use conscript soldiers regardless of their social class.
Conscript soldiers were employed during the French Revolution which lasted from 1789 to 1799.
The US was the next country to conscript soldiers in 1972 during the Civil War, and Congress signed the conscription act into law.
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There are about 85 countries that still employ the use of conscripted military service including Turkey, Cyprus, North and South Korea, Israel, Syria, and Brazil.
Is Russia using conscript soldiers in the war against Ukraine?
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the war efforts against Ukraine on March 8 and claimed the Russian military is not using conscript soldiers.
"I emphasize that conscript soldiers are not participating in hostilities and will not participate in them," Putin said in a televised address to the nation. "And there will be no additional call-up of reservists."
However, Russia's defense ministry said in an interview with , this was untrue.
Defense Ministry spokesperson, Igor Konashenkov said, "Unfortunately, we have discovered several facts of the presence of conscripts in units taking part in the special military operation in Ukraine. Practically all such soldiers have been pulled out to Russia."
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However, Konashenkov also said that some conscripts had been captured by the Ukrainian forces.
“At the same time, a sabotage group of the national battalion attacked one of the units performing the tasks of logistical support. A number of servicemen, including conscripts, were captured."
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