Both leaders of pro-Russian forces in Donetsk and Luhansk won in landslide victories on Sunday. The elections were accepted by Russia, however neither Kiev, the EU nor US have recognized the result as legitimate.
The request for the separatists to become a part of Russia’s armed forces is seen by Kiev as another step towards the de facto annexation of the eastern Ukrainian territories by the Russian Federation.
“According to evidence we have seen, which includes military summons, the Russian Federation is planning to use the so-called elections in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic as a way to increase the numbers of their own armed forces,” announced the SSU’s head secretary Markiyan Libkiyvskiy on Sunday.
Libkiyvskiy also posted images on social media of conscription summons made to citizens of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic’s Ministry of Defence urging them to comply with Russian federal law and report for duty at their local military command office by November 5.