Read about our approach to external linking. The Ukrainian military on Friday reported significant fighting near Ivankiv, about 40 miles north west of Kyiv, as Russian forces apparently tried to advance on the capital from the north. "It's a way of making people go back into that bloodbath," says Elena Popova from Russia's Movement of Conscientious Objectors. For many Russian soldiers, the war in Ukraine is one they don't want to fight. Independent Russian media have also been reporting hundreds of cases of soldiers refusing repeat deployments to Ukraine since the beginning of April. TASS said the soldier expressed his dissatisfaction with the training of mobilised servicemen outside Moscow. I told him: 'Better to take it. Some soldiers, under the threat of violence, were simply driven out to unknown destinations, they have not been seen since, said Vladimir, according to the Guardian. We didn't leave anyone in the rear, so if someone decided to come in from behind and hit us there was no protection. Some Russian troops are refusing to return to fight in Ukraine because of their experiences on the front line at the start of the invasion, according to Russian human rights lawyers and activists. In his unit of 50 people, 10 were killed and 10 others wounded. A group of Russian soldiers are suing the army after they were fired for refusing to fight in Ukraine. By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. Sergey says he is traumatised by his experience in Ukraine. "We're on the same wavelength now," Sergei tells me. Sergey was told that returning to the unit was important because simply leaving could be interpreted as desertion, which can result in a two-year sentence in a disciplinary battalion. Benyash said "hundreds and hundreds" of soldiers had been in touch with his team for advice on how they could avoid being sent to fight. He revealed to his father what had happened to him in detention: how a "different group" of Russian soldiers had tried to force him to fight. Born in Russia, he graduated from St. Petersburg State University and also received film and video production training at Bard College in New York. Also, according to Dmytrashkivskyi, the 136th Brigade, which was formed for the war in Chechnya, has arrived in the Vuhledar area. Nearly all . Not only are they clueless, but they're simply refusing to fight, Scherba, who is currently in western Ukraine, tells co-host Molly-Jong-Fast. Several lawyers and human rights activists the BBC spoke to said they had been regularly offering advice to men trying to avoid returning to Ukraine. Ukrainian . It's not just Ukrainians resisting Vladimir . "We were like blind kittens. The soldier, identified by the alias Vladimir, testified he was held in the town of Bryansk with about 80 soldiers guarded by the shadowy organization Wagner Group. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . Then I got a text message saying he and four other officers had been put in a basement. Newsweek was unable to independently verify those claims but reached out to Russia's foreign ministry for comment. But from our own side.". But without conscript battalions, Russia could soon struggle to hold the territory it currently controls in Ukraine, especially as Ukraine receives better equipment from Nato, he said. We drove around it and on, firing as we went. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. He said he would put his refusal in writing. As Russia's forces run out of food and fuel, some h The contract soldier was subsequently sentenced on July 21 to restriction in military service for one year, with a 10 percent deduction from his monetary allowance going to the state. They'd been ordered to advance, but no one knew what lay ahead. But, after a few months, he made the decision to sign a two-year professional contract which would also give him a salary. Ukraine's Operational Command South reported in a . The arrests of the soldiers, whose . By Robert Coalson. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russia's . A court in the Russian city of Ufa has sentenced a 24-year-old corporal to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine. The range of experience varies. He believes his commanders had planned to capture strongholds and key cities very quickly - and had calculated that the Ukrainians would simply surrender. He simply declares that he has anti-war convictions. Troops from the Russian so-called Cossack Detachment are refusing to take part in offensive operations due to Russian forces heavy losses near Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast. In October, a new general was appointed to lead Russia's offensive. The head of Britain's GCHQ spy service said on Wednesday that new intelligence showed some Russian soldiers in Ukraine had refused to carry out orders, sabotaged their own equipment and . Albert Sakhibgareev was sent near the Ukrainian border in early February for "training exercises," the . Moscow's war is unjust, but there's no moral obligation for soldiers to refuse to fight. Conscripts could fill some of the gaps, but they will be poorly trained. 02:32. The men, who belonged to the key headquarters of the Pskov . "This is all nonsense and fake claims and there is nothing to back them up with. They would be looking at time in prison.. Such an action would be "premature" without having assessed the harm to the military service he was involved in, the prosecutor said. But you cannot force people to fight.". Kononov reportedly had taken part in President Vladimir Putin's so-called special military operation in the Eastern European nation but left his military unit without permission for more than 10 days. Sergey joined the army as a conscript - most Russian men between the ages of 18-27 must complete one year of compulsory military service. We had no food, no water, he said. At another moment, he said, unit commanders ordered a squad of five soldiers to try to seize a nearby settlement defended by up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers. As casualties have mounted, so have Ukrainian officials' efforts to appeal directly to the Russian people, saying they are being lied to about a war Moscow still calls a "special operation . "Another reason is the foul way they're being treated. Russias troops in Ukraine are largely made up of contract soldiers: volunteer personnel who sign fixed-term contracts for service. 'I'd rather go to jail than fight in Ukraine', Surgeons operate on baby in Kyiv blackout, Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, India anti-corruption crusader fighting to clear his name, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The latest as of 7.15 a.m. Some Russian troops are refusing to return to fight in Ukraine because of their experiences on the front line at the start of the invasion, according to Russian human rights lawyers and activists. All Rights Reserved. He said the "Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights" being witnessed in the world today. Instead, men in uniform arrived and offered them amnesty if they agreed to fight alongside the Russian army in . Human rights activist Sergei Krivenko says he is not aware of any prosecutions of those refusing to return to the front. But even before that, there are many reports from our intelligence officers, who work quite successfully, about what is going at the enemy both in the rear and on the front line there are very frequent refusals to participate in hostilities., Read also: Russians pushing for breakthrough near Vuhledar, but unlikely to succeed, says UK intelligence. I want to return to my family and not in a casket.. Sergey's complaints about lack of equipment have also emerged in phone conversations alleged to be between Russian soldiers and their families, intercepted and posted online by the Ukrainian security services. Almost all his comrades were under the age of 25. Sergei made several trips to the front line to try to secure his son's release. Daughter of Putin ally dies when . Hes not refusing to carry out orders, so the article on insubordination or disobeying orders isnt relevant either, because hes not refusing to do so, he said. appreciated. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. More than 26,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in . He refused so they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. The man narrated the ordeal his son suffered to the BBC, saying that he had begged his son not to go. "Some soldiers, under the . It's not a war of liberation'," the man told the BBC. July 19, 2022. Some large government-run companies have received letters urging them to sign up their staff for the army. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. Refusal then would mean much harsher penalties. Along with eight others, Dmitri told his commanders that he refused to rejoin the invasion. Some Russian soldiers and even whole units are "refusing to fight" in Ukraine, top UK security officials reported today. They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. Missing In Action: A Russian Soldier's Mother Desperately Seeks Answers, Vox Pop: Muscovites On How Russia's Isolation Affects Daily Life. "But he said he was going. In Kononov's case, court documents say that he pleaded guilty to evading military service and that he testified he wanted to take a temporary break from fighting in Ukraine. And while the current status of the conflict gives Russian soldiers a legal path to refuse participation, some soldiers have complained that it has also led to them not being adequately cared for. Soldiers from Ukraines Special Operations Forces and the 72nd Separate Mechanised Brigade destroyed pieces of Russian equipment and captured two Russian servicemen near Vuhledar on 23 February. In another incident, Sergey says he had to overtake comrades trapped inside a burning vehicle in front of him. Russian soldiers are increasingly dying from accidental friendly fire . Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. My son told me, 'I never thought my own country would treat me this way.' Did you encounter any technical issues? Just refuse," Sergei recalls telling Stas, who was already an army officer. There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. He bombarded military officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help. They just don't care. 2023 BBC. He believed it was right. Now, at least four want their superiors punished for the seemingly illegal arrests, according to the newspaper. For that they sent my son to a detention centre. "The wall of misunderstanding between us has gone. The young Russian was among those men who enlisted. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. I told him: 'Better to take it. He was soon transferred to Belgorod, a Russian city close to the border with Ukraine, where he has been stationed since. Source: cnnespanol All news articles on 2023-02-28 You may like. The Institute for the Study of War said on 14 February that the deployment of conscripted servicemen by Russian troops is unlikely to create sufficient offensive potential for a large-scale and rapid mechanised offensive. Not from the opposing side. Updated at 1:10 p.m. on April 14 to add that the soldier's lawyer has taken down the original photo of the service card. It said that the troops lacked support, while personnel in advanced positions didn't have water. Some Russian troops are refusing to return to fight in Ukraine because of their experiences on the front line at the start of the invasion, according to Russian human rights lawyers and activists. A senior US defense official said Russian volunteers are refusing to go into . A Russian court sentenced Marsel Kandarov to five years in prison for refusing to take part in the special military operation. Frank Gardner looks at what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine. Many of the units that are supposed to train conscripts are fighting themselves, Lee said. Belarus allowed Russia to stage part of the invasion from its . One year from the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, a Catholic priest recounted how a Ukrainian soldier was spared from being killed by . He and several others who'd decided to refuse had their guns taken off them and were put under armed guard.". Andrei, a Russian lieutenant, stopped fighting. If we had moved gradually, if we had checked the roads for mines many losses could have been avoided.". CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflictin Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some ofhis soldiers refuse to fight. He heard of Russian servicemen so inexperienced that they "did not know how to shoot and couldn't tell one end of a mortar from another". "I had thought that we were the Russian army, the most super-duper in the world," says the young man bitterly. The NY Times published a story on this topic today titled "Russia's New Offensive Sends Conscripts Into the Teeth of Ukraine's Lines." "Every day, sometimes more than once a day, small groups come forward and try to take our positions," said one of the Ukrainian soldiers who participated in the fight, and who asked to be identified only by his nickname, Diesel, for security reasons. Discovery Company. They haven't been seen for five months. "We do not have any camps or incarceration facilities, or the like [for Russian soldiers]," President Putin insisted earlier this month. AP. RUSSIAN soldiers are suffering from low morale with some reportedly refusing to fight the war in Ukraine, according to a member of an elite Russian army unit on the ground. Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. He refused. We arent officially in a state of war, so they could not force me to go.. Why wasn't it done?". Eventually his efforts paid off. The commanders know only violence and intimidation. Some troops are refusing orders, walking away from military bases or crossing the border into Ukraine and switching sides, media reports show. The refusenik troops add to Russian commanders headaches as they struggle to replenish spent and exhausted units across the roughly 480-kilometer (300-mile) front line stretching from east of Kharkiv in the northeast down to Kherson in south-central Ukraine. Heavy street fighting against Russian troops was underway in Kyiv as officials urged locals to take immediate shelter. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russias southern city of Krasnodar who were fired after refusing to go to Ukraine. Fewer and fewer Russian servicemen want to fight for the Kremlin's invading plans. I understood that I had to refuse so I could stay alive, he said. It doesn't make sense. Stas was sent back to Russia. Boris Johnson's cabinet received an update from a senior national security official on Tuesday morning. I told him that he was a zombie. Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have "absolutely no trust . A Russian soldier was sentenced in July for refusing to fight in the Ukraine war. I will serve my remaining time and then I am out of here, he said. In conversations with Current Time via the Russian social media giant VK, several soldiers from the brigade disputed the circumstances behind their inclusion on the wall of shame. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook. This is not our war. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. The enemy has somewhat reduced its activity for the fourth day, he said. While speaking, he blew cigarette smoke into an officers face, who responded by pushing him away. The Kremlin has declined to call for a general mobilization to replenish lost troops, instead using what analysts have described a covert, hybrid campaign to recruit fresh troops: using private military companies, extended age limitations, lucrative financial incentives, and sometimes coercive persuasion to bolster the ranks. Other units include troops from private military companies like Vagner, or specialized, semiautonomous units overseen by Chechnyas strongman leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. Hundreds of Russian soldiers have refused to fight or fled their posts since the war in Ukraine began, according to report published Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal. Russian rights activists say hundreds, possibly thousands of troops are balking at orders to deploy, to keep fighting, or to remain on the battlefield without rotating out or home. (Reuters Photo) Russian soldiers fighting the war in Ukraine are in disarray and crying as they are asked to "fire at . And that means he cant be prosecuted for desertion or going AWOL. A Russian fleet was said to be preparing to shell port city Odessa and land troops. "There are held in pits, tortured and things like that. It caught fire and there were [Russian] soldiers inside. For some Russians, refusing to return to the front line may be a moral stand. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Many of us simply did not want to go back, said Dmitri, a member of the unit who asked not to be identified with his real name. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. The official warned that the next phase of the war was likely to be an "attritional conflict" which could last . The URL has been copied to your clipboard. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. Im tired. Im supposed to be ready for any situation; this war, this special operation, one soldier wrote. Lee said one option for the Kremlin would be to authorise the deployment of conscript units to Ukraine, despite Putins earlier pledges that Russia would not use any conscripts in the war. 03:25. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. But he stresses that Russian military law does include clauses which allow soldiers to refuse to fight if they don't want to. ", Russian mum's fight to save sons from Putin's war, Mariupol: 80 days that left a flourishing city in ruins, Pinned down by Russian fire in key frontline village. They forgot their military oaths, the ceremonial promise, their vows of duty to their Fatherland, the board reads. Russia struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine. In July, the father of a Russian soldier told The Insider that troops were being detained or moved to a detention center in the occupied Luhansk region if they attempted to leave their posts. ", "People here don't understand how much danger we're in. Within the dense smoke caused by the propaganda of one side or the other, the truth is that there does seem to be a good number of Russian soldiers who have refused to fight in Ukraine. Earlier Ukraines General Staff reported that invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes. His unit moved on through the Ukrainian countryside, but there was a clear lack of strategy, he says. I have served for five years in the army. Their official status is missing in action. Timofei Rozhanskiy is a correspondent in Kyiv for Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. What is being given to Ukraine by the UK? The whole time, not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest. Instead they were expected to operate without even basic equipment, such as night vision devices, he says. In phone conversations with Current Time, he said troops were not granted any leave for 4 1/2 months, even as the losses and casualties for the brigade mounted: Up to half of the brigades personnel -- around 1,000 -- have been either killed or wounded in action, he said. A lawyer told Sergey and two like-minded colleagues to return their arms and go back to their unit's headquarters - where they should file a letter explaining that they were "morally and psychologically exhausted" and could not continue fighting in Ukraine. UK intelligence estimates Russian losses near Vuhledar, Russians pushing for breakthrough near Vuhledar, but unlikely to succeed, says UK intelligence, Lori Lightfoot becomes the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to lose re-election, Fiery Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85, A condition called POTS rose after covid, but patients can't find care, Drones fly deep inside Russia; Putin orders border tightened, Rep. Lauren Boebert Gets Absolutely Schooled By Jamie Raskin Using Trump's Own Words, Russia redeploys unit of brigade created for war against Chechen Republic of Ichkeria near Vuhledar, Ukrainian Forces Demobilize Russian Tanks Near Frontline Town, Irkutsk conscripts appeal to Putin for third time for being sent to war without training, Multiple Russian Armored Vehicles Destroyed in Single Battle, Ukrainian Brigade Says, The mysterious death of Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrovs favorite fighter. A group of Russian soldiers recently sent Vladimir Putin a video complaining about "being sent to the slaughter" and begging for more military support in . ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). His superiors argued that he should not be given the monetary compensation of up to 2,500 that wounded Russians are entitled to by law because his injury took place on Russian soil meaning it did not fall under the rules of Russias special military operation. One consequence of the Kremlin refusing to declare war on Kyiv - the regime insists that its invasion is a "special military operation", a distinct legal status - is that its options for forcing servicemen to the front are more limited.
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