His representative Kremlin Dmitry Peskov, member of the Russian elite, said today that his son, Nikolai, had taken part in the invasion of Ukraine, months after he was accused of trying to avoid being sent to the front.

“He made this decision, he is an adult. Yes, indeed, he participated in the special military operation” in Ukraine, Dmitry Peskov told reporters, declining to elaborate.

The day before Saturday, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, had said that 33-year-old Nikolai Peskov served “with courage and heroism” for six months in eastern Ukraine, secretly, under an alias, using the “Ouragan” multiple rocket launcher system of the Wagner forces.

“Certainly, for the people, it is a situation that is not common, because everyone is used to elite children hiding from their parents,” commented Prigozhin, in a message published by the press service of the head of Wagner.

He said that he had advised Nikolai Peskov not to serve in the Russian army so that he would not be made to sit on the staff or be sent to “meat” on the front line.

After these statements by Prigozhin, the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda published an interview with Nikolai Peskov in which the latter stated that he chose to fight in order to fulfill his “duty” and that he has been decorated.

Six months ago, Nikolai Peskov was accused, on the contrary, of wanting to avoid enlistment in the army after his telephone statements.

In late September, after Russia announced a “partial” conscription, a blogger supporting jailed dissident Alexei Navalny directly called Nikolai Beskov posing as a Russian army recruiter.

“You must understand, you know I am Mr. Peskov, it is not at all right for me to be there,” Nikolai Peskov had said, implying that he was not going to enlist.

“I have no problem defending the country. But first I need to understand the expediency of my presence there.” he had said.

Opponents as well as activists who support the attack on Ukraine often accuse members of the Russian political elite of taking advantage of favors so that their relatives are not sent to the front.