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A Russian nongovernmental group is raising concerns that Russian conscripts are being forced to sign contracts that could result in their being sent to fight in Ukraine.
The Soldiers' Mothers group says it has received more than 20 such complaints from the parents of Russian army conscripts in December 2014 alone.
Parents said that after signing the contracts, their sons were sent to a military base in Rostov near the border with eastern Ukraine.
The Soldiers' Mothers group has asked human rights ombudsman Ella Pamfilova to investigate the allegations.
The group, which campaigns for the rights of conscripts and other Russian soldiers, estimates about 500 Russian soldiers have been killed in eastern Ukraine's conflict.
It is researching an increase in deaths of Russian soldiers based ouyt of Rostov since the conflict in eastern Ukraine began in April 2014.
It also is investigating reports that Russian soldiers killed in eastern Ukraine are being secretly buried or cremated.
The Kremlin denies sending Russian troops into eastern Ukraine.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson speaking at the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee in Brussels today.
"One big cloud is of course the growing problems from the Ukraine crisis. I cannot hide from you that the international atmosphere has been hurt by this, that the ghost of the Cold War seems to be crawling out of the shadow. I hope to God that there will be efforts made to limit the damage. We have enough of damage of course in the lack of trust that is so evident in the case of the crisis itself here in Europe. But it is also a risk that this could spread into other areas. We need the cooperation between major power in the Syria situation for instance, not to speak of the importance of the P5+1 negotiations going on with Iran."
"I can only point to the fact that we need in this case on Ukraine to be very firm on principles of international law, [let's be] absolutely clear on that. At the same time of course everything needs to be done so that we don't have an escalation that can turn into catastrophic dimensions."
"You may know that I visited Ukraine in the beginning of March at a crucial stage of the crisis before the events in Crimea and the [UN] secretary-general has been in frequent contact with the leadership of both the Russian Federation and of Ukraine and we are more than willing to play that role. If there is a need for good offices that is recognized by the parties and from other important actors in Europe and elsewhere we are willing to play that role."
"We will of course be active on the humanitarian front where we already have a huge program and a growing program unfortunately and of course with human rights monitoring, which we will continue to do."
"I would say this shows the limitations in some situations in which the United Nations find itself when we don't have a joint [UN] Security Council action and direction given."
From our Moscow correspondent Tom Balmforth:
Pro-Kremlin Youth Group Answers Ukrainian Students' Antipropaganda Appeal
Our Brussels correspondent, Rikard Jozwiak, has this on the UN deputy secretary-general's comments today suggesting the "ghost of the Cold War" has reemerged:
BRUSSELS -- UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson says Ukraine's war has damaged relations between Russia and the West to a point that the "ghost of the Cold War seems to be crawling out of the shadows."
Speaking on February 2 to the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee in Brussels, Eliasson said he hopes the lack of trust emerging between major world powers won't affect nuclear negotiations with Iran or the efforts to end the war in Syria.
Eliasson also said the engagement of the United Nations in Ukraine is not as strong as it should be.
Eliasson said the war in eastern Ukraine "shows the limitations in some situations in which the United Nations finds itself when we don't have a joint [UN] Security Council action and direction given."
He said the UN would mediate if the warring sides and major world powers want it.
In the meantime, he said the UN is focusing on human rights monitoring and humanitarian assistance.
Via Reuters, quotes from Aleksandr Zakharchenko, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, and Igor Plotnitsky, leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, at a news conference in Donetsk today.
Zakharchenko: "That the Minsk talks were wrecked was not our fault. We sent our real envoys there, Denis Vladimirovich Pushilin, [self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic representative], and Vladislav Deinego, [self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic representative] who had all the power to sign and to discuss any questions related to the withdrawal of heavy weapons, cease-fire, etc..."
Plotnitsky: "The derailment of the Minsk agreement lies with Kyiv, with [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko. He does not want it, he is not interested. Most likely, all Minsk agreements are just cover under which Mr. Poroshenko hides his insecurity, misunderstanding, or even something bigger."