Russian MPs’ sons are ‘mobilised to cronies unit far away from front lines so they can serve in Ukraine without dying’
- Kremlin politicians are accused of establishing a ‘cronies’ military unit in Ukraine
- The Cascade unit was set up by United Russia MP Dmitry Sablin in October
- The unit, which focuses heavily on drones, is said to be 50 miles from front line
Kremlin politicians are accused of establishing a ‘cronies’ military unit in Ukraine far away from the frontlines of battle, so that they and their sons can serve without a risk of being killed.
Russian MPs have been told to support the invasion in order to drum up respect from the public, as well as to receive financial support from Putin‘s United Russia party.
Since then, a number of politicians and their sons have volunteered to serve in the mysterious Cascade unit for a short stint of around a month, The Telegraph reports.
The unit guarantees them the opportunity to pose in military uniform and in some cases, even earn a medal for bravery.
Influential Russian blog channel VKCh-OGPU, which insists it has close contact with the country’s defence department, published a list of United Russia MPs who have served with the Cascade unit in the Donetsk region.
A damaged building is seen in this aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops in the Donetsk region
A damaged building is seen in this aerial view of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region
The channel stated: ‘This is a “cronies department” that includes deputies and their children who want to mark themselves down as having been in the war but don’t feel like going to the front line.
‘The most comfortable place for “passing service” is in the drone detachment in Cascade since it allows you to stay a safe distance from the line of combat.’
Politician Dmitri Sablin founded the unit and have been pictured serving in it alongside his son and other United Russia members.
Cascade was established in October, a month after Putin’s soldiers began mobilizing along the Ukraine border.
Pictures of the unit show soldiers preparing drones and staring at computers, seemingly far away from the carnage of the trenches.
Ukrainian servicemen fire with a SPG-9 anti-tank grenade launcher during a military exercise
Cascade markets itself as a secretive reconnaissance unit, allowing it to keep its location safe from scrutiny. Nevertheless, in one Telegram post, Mr Sablin said his soldiers were working in Rubizhne, around 50 miles away from the fighting.
Despite its lack of action, Cascade is thought to be the bext-connected military unit and it receives visits from high profile figures including Sergey Kiriyenko, who has served three times as deputy head of the Russian presidential administration.
Sablin has written how he keeps his ‘personnel safe’ as well as an introduction he made between Mr Kiriyenko and soldier in the pro-Russia Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) unit.
He added: ‘These heroic guys bear the brunt of the battles for the liberation of DNR’.
