Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the demobilization of students who were mobilized by the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk “People’s Republics” (“LNR” and “DNR”), said his press secretary, Dmitry Peskov.
“Currently, the people’s militia forces are integrated into the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, after the entry of the ‘LNR’ and ‘DNR’ into Russia. Putin instructed us to demobilize students and return them to their places of study,” he said.
Documents confirming the order have apparently not yet been published.
A few days before the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the “LNR” and “DNR” announced a general mobilization, sending tens of thousands of men to war, including students. Residents reported raids in the streets and searches for conscripts in private apartments.
There is a known instance of an 18-year-old student being mobilized on February 18. On November 12, it was reported that he had been demobilized.