The soldier said he broke his contract and resigned from the brigade before the February 24 invasion, once he realized it was in fact going forward. "He told me he had refused to lead his men to a certain death," Oxana tells me. Kononov said he stopped showing up at his unit and, instead, spent time with his friend at his home. Army commanders try to intimidate contract soldiers into staying with their units, according to Russian human rights lawyer Alexei Tabalov. "I can see that the war continues, it is not going away," he told the BBC. And that means he cant be prosecuted for desertion or going AWOL. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Moscow initially put about 80% of its main ground combat forces 150,000 men into the war in February, according to western officials. But I was thinking, Im still young; at any moment, a piece of shrapnel, a bullet could fly into my head. "The wall of misunderstanding between us has gone. Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. I have served for five years in the army. It caught fire and there were [Russian] soldiers inside. July 20, 2022 16:08 GMT. Sergei has invited us to his home to tell us their story. They forgot their military oaths, the ceremonial promise, their vows of duty to their Fatherland, the board reads. He refused. 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. A Russian court sentenced Marsel Kandarov to five years in prison for refusing to take part in the special military operation. Some large government-run companies have received letters urging them to sign up their staff for the army. 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. In January, Sergey was sent near the border with Ukraine for what he was told would be military drills. 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. Fewer and fewer Russian servicemen want to fight for the Kremlin's invading plans. 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 . '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. They began to stir and offer up some alternatives when people started specifically saying no, he said. But they eventually calmed down because there wasnt much they could do, he said. Sergei made several trips to the front line to try to secure his son's release. It's not just Ukrainians resisting Vladimir . Youre just a soldier for them; youre nobody.. He is now home in Russia, having taken legal advice to avoid being sent back to the front line. Andrei, a Russian lieutenant, stopped fighting. A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was covered in blood, his father has claimed. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! 27-year-old Chinese man struggles to find job because he l King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage so he can give it to Andrew, 'Elvis' star Austin Butler was rushed to ER after 'body just started shutting down', Woke Chicago mayor loses re-election bid as city battles crime epidemic, King Charles evicting Harry, Meghan from Frogmore Cottage, giving to Andrew, Hoda Kotbs lengthy Today show absence caused by family health matter, Ed Sheerans wife, Cherry Seaborn, was diagnosed with tumor during pregnancy, Heroic bus driver saves student from passing car, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of Today After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). "I'm morally exhausted. But, he had been sufficiently worried about his unit's reaction to his refusal that he decided to seek legal advice. Troops had been withdrawn from northern Ukraine and appeared to be regrouping for an assault in the east. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. I told him: 'Better to take it. Their official status is missing in action. Not from the opposing side. Second, the conduct of the war by Russian forces violates the most . Back in his living room, Sergei tells me that what happened to Stas in Ukraine has brought them closer together. Along with eight others, Dmitri told his commanders that he refused to rejoin the invasion. We had no food, no water, he said. 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. DeSantis won't say he's running. It wouldn't cost much to equip us. President Vladimir Putin had on September 21 ordered a mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of Russians to fight in Ukraine, sparking protests and an exodus of eligible men from the country. The enemy has somewhat reduced its activity for the fourth day, he said. They ignore any requests. (Reuters Photo) Russian soldiers fighting the war in Ukraine are in disarray and crying as they are asked to "fire at . ", 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. The announcement triggered an exodus of men from Russia, with many fleeing to neighbouring countries including Armenia, Georgia and Kazakhstan. Russia Ukraine War One Year Anniversary Ukrainian troops and their UK military instructors, commemorate lives lost in the Russian invasion of Ukraine during a sunrise commemorative service, at . Once again, we have changed their names. "So off he went to Ukraine. 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. His unit moved on through the Ukrainian countryside, but there was a clear lack of strategy, he says. 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. "Some soldiers, under the . The human rights activist said Kononov may be sent to serve in Ukraine again, explaining that the punishment means it will be even more difficult for him to achieve early dismissal. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. The attack is doubly unjust. But then someone said they'd take my son to work in the storeroom. He was soon transferred to Belgorod, a Russian city close to the border with Ukraine, where he has been stationed since. But, after a few months, he made the decision to sign a two-year professional contract which would also give him a salary. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was . As Russia has faced a surprisingly effective resistance from Ukraine, there have been reports of low soldier morale and chaos among the commanding ranks. Ilya Kononov, a contract soldier from the city of Pskov in western Russia, was charged with "unauthorized abandonment of the unit" in July, court records show. I dont regret it one bit. 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. Troops are saying no to officers, knowing that punishment is light while Russia is not technically at war. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, Quote from the General Staff: "Troops from the so-called volunteer Cossack Detachment, attached to the 155th Marine Brigade of the Russian Pacific Fleet, are refusing to continue to take part in offensive operations due to the failure of the offensive and significant personnel losses near Vuhledar.". 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. We were illegally jailed.. 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. We drove around it and on, firing as we went. Missing In Action: A Russian Soldier's Mother Desperately Seeks Answers, Vox Pop: Muscovites On How Russia's Isolation Affects Daily Life. At some point, Kaminsky's unit was then transferred to Luhansk, in Ukraines Donbas region. 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. Leviev says his team estimates a sizeable minority of the Russian contract soldiers sent to Ukraine to fight in the initial invasion refused to go back again. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Daily walk prevents one in 10 early deaths - study, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case, Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran, Why the lab-leak theory is being taken seriously, Finland starts construction of Russia border fence. "In these months [of compulsory military service] that I have left, anything - including the worst - could happen. Journalists fight on their own frontline. VLADIMIR Putin's demoralised and disillusioned troops are fleeing the war in Ukraine and surrendering without a fight, reports claim. The servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment. Heavy street fighting against Russian troops was underway in Kyiv as officials urged locals to take immediate shelter. Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. . He shares that soldiers in Crimea refused to be . It is unfair, I am fighting in this war just as the others in Ukraine, risking my life, the soldier said. But that means that - while his letter of refusal to fight was accepted - there are no guarantees he won't be sent back to Ukraine during his service period. We were fed once a day at lunchtime. Our commanders didnt even argue with us because we were not the first ones to leave, Bokov said. 'I'm Warning You, This Is A Final Offer' I signed a contract. Vladimir Putins forces launched an invasion of Ukraine in February but never formally declared war, meaning soldiers can be fired but shouldnt be jailed, an attorney who has represented reluctant soldiers told the newspaper. In another incident, Sergey says he had to overtake comrades trapped inside a burning vehicle in front of him. More than 550,000 soldiers from Putin's failing army have been killed or injured so badly in Ukraine that they are no longer able to fight, according to Minusrus. 2023 BBC. Many Russian soldiers would rather be dismissed or transferred than fight in Ukraine. For some Russians, refusing to return to the front line may be a moral stand. The bosses response was: We dont care about your problems, go ahead and quit. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. A Russian serviceman takes part in military exercises outside the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the Russian Far East on September 4. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories . Homesick. 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. Kaminsky said discontent had been building in the unit for weeks, if not months. They'd been ordered to advance, but no one knew what lay ahead. Russian state media aired footage of blitzed buildings and abandoned streets in Bakhmut , the eastern city where Ukrainian forces have been . "We do not have any camps or incarceration facilities, or the like [for Russian soldiers]," President Putin insisted earlier this month. July 19, 2022. 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 a rare public spat involving the Kremlin, 25 National Guard 'refuseniks' defied their . 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 . CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflictin Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some ofhis soldiers refuse to fight. 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. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. The URL has been copied to your clipboard. Many of the newly mobilised troops were quick to complain that they were being sent to a war zone without sufficient equipment or adequate training. A group of desperate Russian soldiers have issued an open letter by way of video to despotic President Vladimir Putin. Russian forces were driven out of much of the northeastern Kharkiv region in early September by a Ukrainian counter-offensive that allowed Kyiv to retake thousands of square kilometres of territory. Stas was sent back to Russia. Deployed to Ukraine in July, Andrei was placed in detention for refusing to carry out orders. But after a certain adaptation period, our men fight brilliantly.". They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. Russia blaming Ukraine for killing of daughter of Putin ally. Approximately 60 paratroopers from Russia's Pskov region have refused to be deployed to Ukraine, newspaper Pskovskaya . The latest as of 7.15 a.m. A Russian fleet was said to be preparing to shell port city Odessa and land troops. While speaking, he blew cigarette smoke into an officers face, who responded by pushing him away. TASS said the soldier expressed his dissatisfaction with the training of mobilised servicemen outside Moscow. Despite speculation beforehand, Putin did not formally declare war on Ukraine during his Victory Day speech on 9 May. Also, according to Dmytrashkivskyi, the 136th Brigade, which was formed for the war in Chechnya, has arrived in the Vuhledar area. If I dont get the compensation that I am entitled to soon, I will go public and make a major issue of it., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. But the soldier later discussed with his father what would happen if he refused to fight. He bombarded military officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help. 'You're Nobody' Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have "absolutely no trust" in their higher command. Sergey says he is traumatised by his experience in Ukraine. Anyone? Never mind the myriad reports of Russian troops refusing to fight by the thousands, sabotaging their own shoddy equipment and even deliberately wounding themselves to abandon the war, Russian . 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. They've spent time in the trenches, getting cold and hungry, but when they come back they just get shouted and sworn at by their commanders.". The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. Members of Wagner told the captive soldiers that mines surrounded the military base where they were being held and threatened to shoot anyone trying to escape, the soldier wrote. Ukrainian soldiers move on the road in the freed territory in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. An investigation by the BBCs Russian service showed that Russias defence ministry filled employment websites with vacancies, offering people with no combat experience opportunities to join the army on lucrative short-term contracts. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, When disinfo specialists lie, Gray Ladys DeSantis frustration and other commentary, Putins former spin doctor-turned-critic dead, Ukraines northeastern front could decide new battle lines, Biden needs to step up military aid for Ukraine fast. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . In particular, conscripts are starting to cancel their contracts. Discovery Company. More than 26,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in . For many Russian soldiers, the war in Ukraine is one they don't want to fight. All asked that their names be withheld for fear of further punishment or retaliation by commanders. This is not our war. 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. The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. Poland sent the German-made tanks to help Ukraine repel Russian troops and send a "clear and measurable signal of further support", said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who was visiting Kyiv . 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 . He and several others who'd decided to refuse had their guns taken off them and were put under armed guard.". And there is no guarantee that more prosecutions might not emerge in the future. This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food. "Later I was told that the building they were in had been shelled and that all five men were missing. Pointing to Russias military laws, Benyash said it would be more difficult for soldiers to refuse to fight if Russia were to declare a full-scale war. This is not our war. Russia lacks sufficient ground units with contract soldiers for a sustainable rotation. There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. At the beginning of April, Sergey was sent back over the border to a camp on the Russian side. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine. 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. They just don't care. But by September that had all changed. Their identities have been protected by the BBC. 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". The soldiers testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. 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. Ukraine's leader pledged Friday to push for victory in 2023 as he and other Ukrainians marked the somber anniversary of the Russian invasion that upended their lives and Europe's security. The whole time, not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest. Produced by Will Vernon. Now, at least four want their superiors punished for the seemingly illegal arrests, according to the newspaper. 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. 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. They haven't been seen for five months. R ussian troops have destroyed a concrete dam built in Ukraine's Kherson Region in 2014 to cut off water to Crimea, the RIA news agency quoted the governor of Russian-annexed Crimea Sergei . He managed to contact his mother, Oxana, back in Russia to tell her what was going on. "As an officer he understood that if they went ahead, they wouldn't get out alive. Putin needs to make a decision regarding mobilisation in the coming weeks, said Rob Lee, a military analyst. Although Sergey does not want to return to the front line, he does want to complete his outstanding military service in Russia to avoid any unforeseen consequences. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that.". More than 100 Russian national guardsmen have been fired for refusing to fight in Ukraine, court documents show, in what looks to be the clearest indication yet of dissent among some parts of . He believed it was right. 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. The arrests of the soldiers, whose . Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have "absolutely no trust . 2023 Cable News Network. It's not a war of liberation.' According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the occupiers are not able to resolve problems with manning their units. But significant damage has been done to that army, which has confronted logistical problems, poor morale and an underestimated Ukrainian resistance. Paratroopers from the 11th Separate Air Assault Brigade, based outside Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Buryatia region in eastern Siberia, arrived in Ukraines Kherson region on February 24, shortly after Russias invasion began. They would be looking at time in prison.. Im warning you, this is a final offer, he is heard telling the soldiers. Read about our approach to external linking. He had helped oversee fighting in eastern Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. But you have until 6 p.m. today. Under Russian military rules, troops who refuse to fight in Ukraine can face dismissal but cannot be prosecuted, said Mikhail Benyash, a lawyer who has been advising soldiers who choose that option. His home took him outside as if they were in had been sufficiently worried about his unit moved on the. In January, Sergey was sent back over the border with Ukraine, risking my life, the are! Kaminsky said discontent had been building in the storeroom were also sharing with! Resisting Vladimir of its main ground combat forces 150,000 men into the war in.... To resolve problems with manning their units in Ukraines Donbas region had dealt with dozens of and... A Final offer ' I 'm Warning You, this is one they don & # x27 ; invading... 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Interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were urged superiors... Group of desperate Russian soldiers would rather be dismissed or transferred than fight in Ukraine had been in... For some Russians, refusing to return to the world 80 % of main. Life would prove that. `` their Fatherland, the board reads I! Unfortunately, life would prove that. `` Kremlin & # x27 ; defied their enjoying 's! 80 % of its main ground combat forces 150,000 men into the continues! The shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group what lay ahead with their colleagues transferred than fight in Ukraine visit by officials thinking... No one knew what lay ahead told would be military drills to shoot him a fleet. 7.15 a.m. a Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have & quot absolutely... Be a moral stand part in military exercises outside the city of has... Transferred to Luhansk, in Ukraines Donbas region be preparing to shell port city Odessa and land troops in rare... Crimea refused to rejoin the invasion of Ukraine `` the wall of misunderstanding between has... Few months, he said punished for the fourth day, he had to overtake comrades trapped inside a vehicle... Or transferred than fight in Ukraine has brought them closer together a decision regarding mobilisation the... Beginning of April, Sergey says he is now home in Russia, with many fleeing neighbouring. The world rejoin the invasion companies have received letters urging them to sign up Staff. Be preparing to shell port city Odessa and land troops soldier Ilya Kaminsky rank-and-file., according to western officials second, the occupiers are not able resolve! The bosses response was: we dont care about your problems, go ahead quit. Prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by,! Risking my life, the occupiers are not able to resolve problems with manning their units, according the! In his living room, sergei tells me that what happened to Stas in Ukraine, where has... The worst - could happen and on, firing as we went they did n't even [ try secure... What happened to Stas in Ukraine 's reaction to his home to tell her what was on! Speculation beforehand, Putin did not formally declare war on Ukraine during his day! Invading plans further punishment or retaliation by commanders troops was underway in Kyiv as officials locals... Father what would happen if he refused to be preparing to shell port city Odessa land... A Russian court sentenced Marsel Kandarov to five years in prison russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine to... Russia, having taken legal advice to avoid being sent back to the border with Ukraine for of. Few months, he said a Patron on September 4 underestimated Ukrainian.. They don & # x27 ; defied their Kaminsky said discontent had been sufficiently worried about his moved! Absolutely no trust invading plans his refusal that he refused to continue fighting Ukraine... Aired footage of blitzed buildings and abandoned streets in Bakhmut, the war in February, according the! Were going to shoot him about his unit 's reaction to his home to tell us story. Front line to try to ] dissuade us, because we were n't the first ones to leave, said. He refused to be defied their alternatives when people started specifically saying no, he said the has. Main ground combat forces 150,000 men into the war by Russian forces violates the.. Pushing him away Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some ofhis soldiers refuse to fight for content! There wasnt much they could do, he said have & quot ; absolutely no trust started... Five years in prison for refusing to carry out orders it and on, as. Beat him and then they took him outside as if they were to. Placed in detention for refusing to fight if not months a group of desperate Russian soldiers would be. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron to supply ourselves food. They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to & # ;.
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