ORDER ON THE DISARMAMENT OF UKRAINIAN AND GERMAN
FORCES, INCLUDING THEIR TRANSFER ACROSS THE BORDER.*1
[April 17, 1918]
Governorates: Kursk, Oryol, Tula, Voronezh, the region of…
The Don and Crimean troops, even in light of the unilateral declaration by the Kyiv Rada—reproduced and certified by the German Government’s Radio on March 29—now form part of the Russian Federative Soviet Republic. In view of this, military operations conducted in Ukraine should not extend onto their territory. Consequently, all troops crossing into this territory from either belligerent side must be immediately and unconditionally disarmed.
This directive is to be transmitted to local Sovnarkoms and to the commanders of military units for immediate implementation.
Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, V. Ulyanov (Lenin).
* Printed from the original manuscript, typed and personally signed by Lenin. Ed.