MOSCOW. April 21 (Interfax) - The Crimean authorities have accused Kyiv of putting pressure on conscripts called up to the Ukrainian Army prior to the republic's reunification with Russia.
"The majority of our conscripts have already returned home. A few of them are serving at Ukrainian military bases. But our data suggest that they are being pressured by their fellow servicemen and commanders. Certainly, they do not want to serve in the Ukrainian Army, but no one is letting them go home before their service term expires," Crimean First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliyev told Interfax on Friday.
In Odessa, several conscripts from Crimea were disciplined for expressing their reluctance to continue serving in the Ukrainian Army, he said.
"As for the officers, most of them filed resignation letters at their respective bases and returned to Crimea," Temirgaliyev said.