--- title: "State Duma deputies with killed relatives prepare closed letter to Belousov demanding withdrawal of troops from Lyman" description: "A group of newly elected State Duma deputies whose relatives were killed on the front is preparing a closed appeal to Defense Minister Belousov demanding the withdrawal of troops from Lyman and criticizing General Gerasimov." date: 2026-09-22T07:58:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/state-duma-deputies-demand-troop-withdrawal-from-lyman tags: [russia, state-duma, lyman, belousov, gerasimov, ukraine-war, vivaldi-operation, ates, euelections] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # State Duma deputies with killed relatives prepare closed letter to Belousov demanding withdrawal of troops from Lyman ![Russian soldiers with rifles and medals amid Duma deputies' demand to pull troops out from Lyman](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/22/deputaty-gosdumy-trebuyut-uvesti-voyska-iz-pod-limana/deputaty-gosdumy-trebuyut-uvesti-voyska-iz-pod-limana-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - A group of State Duma deputies with killed relatives is preparing a closed appeal to Defense Minister Belousov demanding the withdrawal of troops from Lyman - The appeal contains direct criticism of Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov and accusations of "systematic lies" by the generals - Agents of the "ATESH" movement report the technical superiority of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the use of new robotic systems near Lyman - The European Union does not recognize the results of the September "elections" in Russia and is preparing sanctions against the organizers In Moscow, against the backdrop of the tallying of the September parliamentary "election" results, an internal conflict is erupting between a group of newly elected State Duma deputies and the country's military leadership. According to information obtained from sources, a group of deputies whose close relatives were killed in combat is preparing a closed appeal to Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. In the document, which has not yet been published, the authors call for the emergency withdrawal of units from the hottest sections of the front, citing the loss of control over the troops and colossal personnel losses. The initiative is, in essence, a rare public (albeit in closed form) acknowledgment that the current tactics of force employment in certain directions are leading to disproportionate casualties. ### Lyman and Operation "Vivaldi": the point of maximum pressure The central object of the deputies' complaints is the northern section of Donetsk Oblast in the area of the settlement of Lyman. It is precisely here, according to the authors of the appeal, that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are conducting an operation under the code name "Vivaldi," and Russian units are suffering, by their estimates, "colossal losses." The deputies note that the situation in this section of the front has gotten out of the command's control, and that further holding of positions without a change in tactics is leading to the systematic destruction of personnel. The demand to withdraw troops from this direction, by their logic, should stop the "bloodshed" and return the units to a manageable state. ### Criticism of Gerasimov and the "systematic lies" of the generals A separate block of the appeal is devoted to personal criticism of the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov. The deputies directly call his actions "unprofessionalism" and accuse the top military command of cultivating "systematic lies" β€” inflating the results of "liberated" settlements in order to receive awards and promotions. According to them, it is precisely this practice that distorts the real picture on the front and prevents balanced decisions on the regrouping of forces. Such public (albeit in closed form) accusations against a serving Army General from deputies elected on the wave of military mobilization represent an extremely rare and politically sensitive signal. ### "ATESH": technical superiority and robotic systems Additional context for the situation near Lyman is provided by reports from agents of the "ATESH" movement operating within the "Center" grouping of the Russian Armed Forces. According to their data, Ukrainian units in this section of the front are demonstrating significant technical superiority. Russian military personnel, according to these sources, are recording the use of new robotic systems that had not previously been encountered in combat use. This indicates that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have concentrated not only a numerical but also a technological advantage in the Lyman direction, making the holding of positions by Russian forces extremely difficult without a change in tactical approach. ### Background: "elections," falsifications, and the reaction of Brussels The preparation of such an appeal coincides with the period of tallying the preliminary results of the parliamentary vote held on September 18. According to data announced in Russia, the ruling party "United Russia" is receiving around 57 percent of the votes. However, observers had been recording mass falsifications and pressure on voters from the very start of the voting. The European Union officially stated that it does not recognize the results of these "elections," conducted including in the occupied territories of Ukraine, and is preparing a new package of sanctions against those involved in their organization. In Brussels, it was separately emphasized that Russia deprived OSCE observers of the opportunity to assess the course of the voting, which further undermines the legitimacy of the process in the eyes of international partners. ### Contradictory data A number of key claims in the story under consideration are based on statements by a limited circle of sources and are not confirmed by independent data. First, the text of the appeal to Belousov, according to available information, has not been published, and its exact content, as well as the list of signatories, remain unknown. Second, the estimates of "colossal losses" and "systematic lies" by the generals are subjective statements by the deputies themselves and are not supported by open data on the number of losses or specific episodes of inflating results. Third, information about the technical superiority of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the use of robotic systems near Lyman comes from agents of the "ATESH" movement within the "Center" grouping β€” a source whose affiliation and motivation may influence the nature of the information transmitted. The Russian military command has not publicly commented on either the content of the appeal, the accusations against Gerasimov, or the data on losses near Lyman. Thus, both sides β€” the authors of the letter and the military leadership β€” are adhering to different versions of the state of affairs in this section of the front, and independent verification of the claims under conditions of information closedness remains impossible. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Newly elected State Duma deputies demand the immediate withdrawal of troops from Lyman](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/novoobrani-deputati-derzhdumi-vimagayut-negayno-1790063655.html) - ЕдинствСнный источник ΠΏΠΎ Ρ‚Π΅ΠΌΠ΅. ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Π³ΠΎΡ‚ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΠΈ Π·Π°ΠΊΡ€Ρ‹Ρ‚ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ обращСния, ΡƒΠΏΠΎΠΌΠΈΠ½Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π›ΠΈΠΌΠ°Π½Π°, ΠΎΠΏΠ΅Ρ€Π°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ Β«Π’ΠΈΠ²Π°Π»ΡŒΠ΄ΠΈΒ», ΠΊΡ€ΠΈΡ‚ΠΈΠΊΠΈ ГСрасимова ΠΈ Π΄Π°Π½Π½Ρ‹Ρ… АВЕШ. НС содСрТит тСкста самого обращСния, Π½Π΅ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΎ российскими госмСдиа. ΠšΠΎΠ½Ρ‚Π΅ΠΊΡΡ‚ ΠΎ Π²Ρ‹Π±ΠΎΡ€Π°Ρ… ΠΈ Ρ€Π΅Π°ΠΊΡ†ΠΈΠΈ Π•Π‘ согласуСтся с общСдоступной ΠΈΠ½Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠ΅ΠΉ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: To whom is the deputies' appeal addressed and what does it demand? **A:** According to available data, the closed appeal is addressed to Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. The deputies demand the withdrawal of units from the problematic sections of the front in the Lyman area in order to reduce losses and restore control over the troops. ### Q: Why specifically the Lyman area? **A:** It is precisely on the northern section of Donetsk Oblast in the Lyman area that, according to the authors of the appeal, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are conducting Operation "Vivaldi," and Russian troops are suffering the greatest losses there. Agents of the "ATESH" movement also report the technical superiority of Ukrainian units in this direction. ### Q: What did the European Union say about the "elections" to the State Duma? **A:** The European Union stated that it does not recognize the results of the September voting, conducted including in the occupied territories of Ukraine, and is preparing sanctions against those involved in the organization. In Brussels, it was also noted that Russia deprived OSCE observers of the opportunity to assess the course of the voting. ### Q: Has the content of the appeal been confirmed by independent sources? **A:** No. The appeal has not been published, its exact text and the list of signatories are unknown. Information about its content comes from a single source (rbc.ua) and has not been confirmed by Russian state media or by the military command itself.