19:21, 5 September 2013

Spitsyn: Ashuluk range continues attracting conscripts to hazardous works

Soldiers-conscripts talking to the commission members who came to Ashuluk firing range. Astrakhan Region, August 30, 2013. Photo: http://ast-ombu.ru

Soldiers-conscripts, who have no relevant knowledge and skills for cleaning the territory of the Ashuluk firing range of unexploded ordnance and ammunition, are still involved in these works. This was the conclusion of the commission of human rights activists, said Andrei Spitsyn, the Ombudsman for the Astrakhan Region.

Let us remind you that on August 14 two conscripts – Andrei Leonov and Dmitry Reshetov – were killed by an explosion, when they were cleaning up the territory of the range from ammunition.

This was not the first death accident: in 2011, a whole series of soldiers' deaths happened there: under calculations of the "Caucasian Knot", during 44 days – from August 23 to October 5 – 12 soldiers were lost there.

After the death of the above two conscripts on August 14, a commission comprising of state officials and human rights activists, visited the Ashuluk firing range. According to Andrei Spitsyn, he encountered certain resistance in preparation for the trip. "During the visit to the military unit, we felt an apparent reluctance of certain commanders of the unit to let the activists and other persons to make a comprehensive and objective opinion on how soldiers' rights are ensured," Andrei Spitsyn told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Author: Elena Grebenyuk

Source: CK correspondent