"Mom, we're in shock": Russian conscripts in Kursk region suddenly find themselves on front lines

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Russian President Vladimir Putin promised that poorly trained conscripts would not be sent to fight in Ukraine. However, the front line has now crossed into Russian territory, and families of conscripts stationed in the Kursk region are saounding the alarm about their loved ones. Dozens of messages from people claiming to be family members of Russian conscripts who went missing in the Kursk region are circulating on various social networks.

As CNN writes, messages on Russian Telegram channels over the past few days have shown how unprepared Russia was for such an attack.

"When tanks attacked the border at three in the morning, there were only conscripts there, defending themselves. They didn't see a single soldier, a single contract soldier - they didn't see anyone at all. My son called later and said: 'Mom, we're in shock,'" wrote the mother of a conscript soldier from the Kursk region.

In addition, the Russian news outlet Verstka published an interview with Natalia Appel, the grandmother of one of the Russian conscripts who served in Kursk and is now considered missing.

She said her grandson Vladislav was stationed - unarmed - in a village 500 metres from the border. "What could the boys do? Go against Ukrainian soldiers with a shovel?" she said.

As CNN notes, the fact that Russia relied on conscripts to defend its border likely explains why Ukrainian forces were able to advance into Russian territory with such apparent ease.

Unlike professional soldiers, conscripts receive only limited training before being sent into service, as they are prohibited by law from being sent abroad and are not intended to participate in combat.

Instead, Russia often deploys them on the border. But when Ukraine launched its recent surprise invasion, these conscripts suddenly found themselves on the front lines, completely unprepared to defend themselves.