State Duma Deputy from Belarus tells about his role in sending militants to Donbass

Franz Klintsevich is engaged in recruitment and sending of Russian citizens to Eastern Ukraine.

The Deputy of the State Duma and the Chairman of the Board of the Russian Union of Afghan veterans is originally from the catholic Belarusian family in Ashmiany. In Soviet times he learned as a political officer of the army. After the collapse of the Soviet Union he stayed in Russia and made career in the United Russia. According to Klintsevich, he fully shares and supports "voluntary participation in the conflict in the Donbass", Nasha Niva reports.

There would be hundreds of thousand people in case I did not take control of the process. I saved not hundreds, but thousands people with my competent actions. I'm talking about those who have served", Klinkevich said in his interview to Dozhd TV channel.

This is voluntary people's decision; the origin of people is movement. I didn't put bans. I understood the situation. I no one could bring claims for organizing the process to help the wounded and so on. I realized those people needed help", Klintsevich said.

Answering the correspondent's question Klintsevich said there were "a lot of volunteers" from Russia in the territory of self-appointed republics.

"Many of them had a military experience, they used to be Colonels, Lieutenants, Lieutenant-Colonels of the Soviet Union. They taught at schools, academies. All of it cannot be forgotten, it's a locomotory memory", he added.

According to data of human rights activists, at least 260 Russian soldiers were killed in the Donbass. About 1500 were injured.

Russian authorities carefully hide information about participation of Russian soldiers in actions in the Donbass because its disclosure could lead to introduction of additional Western sanctions. Moreover, Russia may face International Tribunal after shooting down a passenger Boeing killed about 300 people.

All as a result of Russia's attempts to seize eastern Ukraine at least 6.000 people were killed, including 1.530 Ukrainian soldiers. About 30 thousand people were injured. One and a half million people were forced to leave their homes.

Operations of different degree of intensity lasted for 10 months. As a result Russian forces retained control in the third part of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, but were forced to leave strategically important Mariupol, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.