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| Relatives of Russian Soldiers Captured by Ukraine Demand Answers | Relatives of Russian Soldiers Captured by Ukraine Demand Answers |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| KOSTROMA, Russia — Dozens of women gathered at the checkpoint of a military base outside this provincial town on Thursday, demanding to know how their sons and husbands had ended up on Ukrainian videos being interviewed as captives. | KOSTROMA, Russia — Dozens of women gathered at the checkpoint of a military base outside this provincial town on Thursday, demanding to know how their sons and husbands had ended up on Ukrainian videos being interviewed as captives. |
| Those interviews, as well as reports from independent news organizations about the burials of paratroopers killed in combat, are raising questions among Russians about the extent of their country’s military involvement in Ukraine. | Those interviews, as well as reports from independent news organizations about the burials of paratroopers killed in combat, are raising questions among Russians about the extent of their country’s military involvement in Ukraine. |
| About 50 women stood outside a checkpoint of the 331st Airborne Regiment in the town of Kostroma, about 200 miles northeast of Moscow, seeking answers about the fate of their relatives. | About 50 women stood outside a checkpoint of the 331st Airborne Regiment in the town of Kostroma, about 200 miles northeast of Moscow, seeking answers about the fate of their relatives. |
| Yekaterina Berdova, 24, the companion of one of the captured paratroopers, said that she had been searching for information about him on the Internet since she learned about his detention on Tuesday. | Yekaterina Berdova, 24, the companion of one of the captured paratroopers, said that she had been searching for information about him on the Internet since she learned about his detention on Tuesday. |
| “First, I didn’t believe it," Ms. Berdova said. “I looked at the image, and I couldn’t recognize him.” Her partner, Sergei Smirnov, 28, appeared in one of four videos of the soldiers. | |
| Russia has denied that the troops were ordered to fight in Ukraine. President Vladimir V. Putin has said that they got lost and crossed the border by mistake. | Russia has denied that the troops were ordered to fight in Ukraine. President Vladimir V. Putin has said that they got lost and crossed the border by mistake. |
| The fate of the soldiers was among the developments that have prompted renewed scrutiny of whether Russian troops are fighting in Ukraine. | The fate of the soldiers was among the developments that have prompted renewed scrutiny of whether Russian troops are fighting in Ukraine. |
| Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper, and Fontanka.ru, a website, have both reported that at least two paratroopers had been buried near Pskov in northeastern Russia recently. The reports said several dozen servicemen from the 76th Guards Airborne Division based in Pskov had not been in contact with their families since Aug. 15. | Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper, and Fontanka.ru, a website, have both reported that at least two paratroopers had been buried near Pskov in northeastern Russia recently. The reports said several dozen servicemen from the 76th Guards Airborne Division based in Pskov had not been in contact with their families since Aug. 15. |
| The subsequent uproar in the town reached the point that a top military commander, Col. Gen. Vladimir A. Shamanov, visited on Aug. 22. “Everybody is alive and healthy in our air assault brigade,” he said, according to news organizations. | The subsequent uproar in the town reached the point that a top military commander, Col. Gen. Vladimir A. Shamanov, visited on Aug. 22. “Everybody is alive and healthy in our air assault brigade,” he said, according to news organizations. |
| But journalists from Novaya Gazeta and Fontanka.ru witnessed two fresh graves of paratroopers in the region on Aug. 25. Another wooden cross nearby noted that a third paratrooper had been killed on July 11. | |
| Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesman for Mr. Putin, was quoted in the Russian news media as saying that reports of funerals held for the soldiers needed to be investigated. | Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesman for Mr. Putin, was quoted in the Russian news media as saying that reports of funerals held for the soldiers needed to be investigated. |
| In Kostroma, the local branch of a nongovernmental organization advocating the rights of soldiers and their families, known as Soldiers’ Mothers, released a video statement on Wednesday in which the mothers and wives of the captured troops appealed to Mr. Putin and to Russia’s defense minister to speed their release. | In Kostroma, the local branch of a nongovernmental organization advocating the rights of soldiers and their families, known as Soldiers’ Mothers, released a video statement on Wednesday in which the mothers and wives of the captured troops appealed to Mr. Putin and to Russia’s defense minister to speed their release. |
| Most of the families seemed to accept the explanation that the soldiers had gotten lost and were not deployed intentionally when they were captured — but the relatives said they still wanted to know what was being done to bring them back. | Most of the families seemed to accept the explanation that the soldiers had gotten lost and were not deployed intentionally when they were captured — but the relatives said they still wanted to know what was being done to bring them back. |
| “The only thing I can do now is to hope that our leadership will do something,” Ms. Berdova said. | “The only thing I can do now is to hope that our leadership will do something,” Ms. Berdova said. |
| On Thursday afternoon, the relatives were invited to a closed meeting at the military base, but that did not seem to dispel their confusion. | On Thursday afternoon, the relatives were invited to a closed meeting at the military base, but that did not seem to dispel their confusion. |
| The regiment left Kostroma on Aug. 18, ostensibly to participate in drills in the Rostov region further south, but their families lost contact with them over the weekend. | The regiment left Kostroma on Aug. 18, ostensibly to participate in drills in the Rostov region further south, but their families lost contact with them over the weekend. |
| Lyudmila Khokhlova of the Soldiers’ Mothers group, who attended the meeting, said that it did not last long and that the comments from the commander did not vary. She said the commander had told them that negotiations were continuing. | Lyudmila Khokhlova of the Soldiers’ Mothers group, who attended the meeting, said that it did not last long and that the comments from the commander did not vary. She said the commander had told them that negotiations were continuing. |
| Some families were later gathered in a basement office when a few paratroopers called their families for the first time since their capture. In separate telephone conversations, the soldiers said they were being treated well. Some mothers wept. | Some families were later gathered in a basement office when a few paratroopers called their families for the first time since their capture. In separate telephone conversations, the soldiers said they were being treated well. Some mothers wept. |
| “I don’t really know what to do,” said Olga Goreva, the mother of Yegor Pochtoyev, one of the soldiers. Her son gave her a Ukrainian number to call to talk about his release. She tried, but the phone was switched off. | “I don’t really know what to do,” said Olga Goreva, the mother of Yegor Pochtoyev, one of the soldiers. Her son gave her a Ukrainian number to call to talk about his release. She tried, but the phone was switched off. |