Russian politicians shouldn't be drafted to fight in Ukraine because they need to stay and explain the war, lawmaker says

A session of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow, Russia, on April 7, 2022.

Sputnik/Alexander Astafyev/Pool via Reuters

• A Russian MP said Wednesday that lawmakers should be exempt from going to Ukraine. 
• Dmitry Vyatkin said that it is their "duty" to stay behind and explain the importance of the war.
• His comments came after one member of the State Duma requested to join the fight.

Russian politicians shouldn't be drafted to fight in Ukraine because they need to stay and explain the war to citizens, a lawmaker said Wednesday, according to multiple reports. 

At a meeting of Russia's State Duma on Wednesday, Dmitry Vyatkin explained why lawmakers like him were exempt from the partial military mobilization announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day, the BBC reported.

"Sometimes it seems that it is probably the easiest decision to walk away from solving problems here [in the Duma] and ... go to the front," Vyatkin, a lawmaker with pro-Putin political party United Russia, said at the meeting, according to the Russian news site Kommersant.

"But behind us, behind each of us, behind all our parties, are citizens. Who are living seemingly ordinary peaceful lives," he said.

Vyatkin added that it is a politician's "duty and responsibility to convey the importance ... of today's situation to everyone we can talk to, to whom we can reach." 

His speech came after another member of the State Duma, who has a military background, said he wanted to join the fighting in Ukraine, Kommersant reported.

Yury Shyvtkin, who is also a member of the United Russia political party, had previously been in the army between 1986 to 1992, Kommersant reported.

Vyatkin said he would consider Shyvtkin's request.

Putin announced a partial military mobilization as part of the next phase of his ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that around 300,000 people would be called up immediately as part of the mobilization.

Conscripts and students will not be called up and the new law will affect only those with combat experience, he added. 

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