Russian governor facing complaint after saying Russia ‘doesn’t need’ Ukraine war

Natalya Komarova, governor of the Khanty-Mansi region in northern Russia, held a meeting with residents of Nizhnevartovsk, a major city in the region, on 14 October where she said that “we don’t need” the war in Ukraine, the governor’s social media account reported on Saturday.

When asked about the poor quality of equipment for Russian draftees sent to the war, Komarova said that these questions are posed to her rather than the Russian defence minister, adding that the Russian authorities were not prepared to go to war with Ukraine.

“You are asking me this question, knowing full well that I am a governor and not the defence minister?” she said. “Let’s do this a little differently, I am ready to review your request, that’s what we are doing. In this case, we were not preparing for this war like one. We don’t need it. We were building our world in a completely different fashion. In this regard, some discrepancies and unaddressed questions will come up,” Komarova said. The news emerged today that a complaint has been filed against Komarova, alleging that she has “discredited” the Russian army.

Yuri Ryabtsev, member of the Obereg public scrutiny centre who submitted the complaint, claims that Komarova’s statements “are aimed at discrediting the Russian armed forces.