The children of Russian deputies are being mobilized for a confidant unit away from the front lines so they can serve in Ukraine without dying.
- Kremlin politicians are accused of setting up a military unit for their friends in Ukraine
- The Cascade unit was created by United Russia MP Dmitry Sablin in October 2021
- The unit, which focuses heavily on drones, is said to be 50 miles from the front line
Kremlin politicians are accused of setting up a military unit for their relatives in Ukraine far from the frontlines, so that they and their children can serve without the risk of being killed.
Russian members of parliament were asked to support the invasion in order to gain respect from the public, as well as 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 period of about a month, The Telegraph reports.
The unit guarantees them the chance to appear in uniform and in some cases, even win a medal for bravery.
Russia’s influential blogging channel VKCh-OGPU, which insists it is closely connected to the country’s Defense Ministry, has published a list of United Russia MPs who served with the Cascade unit in the Donetsk region.
A ruined building in this aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of fierce battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk region.
A damaged building is seen in this aerial view of Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine
The channel said: “This is a ‘friends’ section featuring MPs and children who want to distinguish themselves as having been in the war but don’t want to go to the front lines.
“The most comfortable place for a ‘pass service’ is in the Cascade Drone Detachment because it allows you to stay a safe distance from the battle line.
Politician Dmitry Sablin founded the unit and has been photographed serving in it alongside his son and other members of United Russia.
Cascade was created a month after Putin’s soldiers began mobilizing along the Ukrainian border.
Photos of the unit show soldiers setting up drones and staring at computers, seemingly removed from the carnage of the trenches.
Ukrainian soldiers fire an SPG-9 anti-tank grenade launcher during a military exercise
Cascade markets itself as a covert reconnaissance unit, which allows it to keep its position safe from scrutiny. However, in a Telegram post, Sablin said his soldiers were operating in Robegne, about 50 miles from the fighting.
Despite its lack of action, the Cascade is believed to be the most closely associated military unit, and receives visits from dignitaries including Sergei Kiriyenko, who served three times as deputy head of the Russian Presidential Administration.
Sablin wrote how he keeps his “people safe” and told how he made an introduction between Mr. Kiriyenko and a soldier in the pro-Russian Donetsk People’s Republic unit.
“These heroic men are bearing the brunt of the DNR’s liberation battles,” he added.
