A local deputy in Russias Far East called on President Vladimir Putin tostop the military campaign in Ukraine in a rare show of opposition to the war among local politicians.We demand the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
We demand an end to military action, Primorye region legislative assembly member Leonid Vasyukevich said during Fridays session, according to a video shared by Far East video news website Newsbox24.tv.Vasyukevich, a member of the Communist Party, said continuing Russias three-month campaign in Ukraine would lead to an imminent increase in military deaths and injuries.The anti-war statement is only the third such instance of a local deputy publicly opposing Russias invasion of its pro-Western neighbor.The leader of a local council in Moscow, war critic Yelena Kotenochkina, set-up a petition calling on Putin to end the war in March.
The Kremlinforwarded the petition to criminal investigators.Later that month, Communist Party member Nina Belyayevaspoke out against the invasion at a city council session in southwestern Russias Voronezh region.Both Belyayeva and Kotenochkina have since left Russia.Similarly to the previous two cases, the reaction to Vasyukevichs anti-war statement was swift.Primorye region Governor Oleg Kozhemyako, who was present at the session at whichVasyukevich critcized Putin,called Vasyukevich a traitor, according to Kommersant newspaper.And a statement on the local assemblys websitesaid its chairman condemned Vasyukevich's political provocation.The vast majority of the legislative assembly deputies unambiguously support the Russian president, said chairman Alexander Rolik.