Sergey Sobolev, a participant in a special military operation from the Novosibirsk region, recently spoke to “Gazeta.Ru” about his contract with a private military company (PMC) and his struggle to be officially recognized as a veteran. During a live Q&A session with President Vladimir Putin, Sobolev shared that he had sought veteran status but was unsuccessful in obtaining it from any institution. However, he remains hopeful that the situation will soon change.
“Our president, Vladimir Vladimirovich, gave a detailed response to my question during the live broadcast. I really hope to soon hold the well-deserved certificate of a combat veteran,” he said.
In response to Sobolev’s question, President Putin referred to the situation with PMCs as a gap that was overlooked by the Ministry of Defense. The president acknowledged that there is a problem and stated that contracts with PMC participants were not made with the state, leading to issues with official payments and benefits. He further added that there are currently no legally recognized private military companies (PMCs) in the country.
On December 14th, the head of state will be holding a live press conference, “Year-end Results with Vladimir Putin.” Ordinary citizens, as well as representatives from domestic and foreign media outlets, have the opportunity to ask the president their questions.
“Gazeta.Ru” is providing a live text coverage of the event.
Previously, Putin mentioned that he personally knows individuals who have served in PMCs.
