From Ukraine there have been multiple reports of mobilised Russian troops being detained - in some cases, locked in cellars and basements - for refusing to return to the frontline. Without a formal . "We went without helicopters - just in a column, as though we were heading to a parade.". The code has been copied to your clipboard. At some point, Kaminsky's unit was then transferred to Luhansk, in Ukraines Donbas region. A video of the incident that circulated online showed the soldier complaining of poor training, using obscenities, and calling the drills an imitation. A Russian court sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials have said. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have "absolutely no trust . "I can see that the war continues, it is not going away," he told the BBC. Brigade has suffered "extremely high casualties" while fighting in Ukraine. 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 . All his bravado has gone. Critics have said many mobilised men hardly had any battlefield experience and have received little training before being sent to the front. "But he said he was going. 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. 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. The Russian authorities dismiss reports of disillusioned soldiers and detention centres as fake news. All asked that their names be withheld for fear of further punishment or retaliation by commanders. "He said it was my choice. "It was a difficult decision for him to take. "Another reason is the foul way they're being treated. Russia launched the attack on Ukraine from three sides on February 24. A Russian court has sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials said Thursday. I still havent seen her. Read about our approach to external linking. Conscripts could fill some of the gaps, but they will be poorly trained. The airline carrier Wizz Air has announced it will . Ukrainian . Why wasn't it done?". Ukrainian service members are seen at the site of fighting with a Russian raiding group in Kyiv on the morning of February 26, 2022, according to Ukrainian service personnel at the scene. 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. 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. I understand everything, of course. Frank Gardner looks at what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine. 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. It's not a war of liberation'," the man told the BBC. '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. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has supported its eastern neighbour in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.Before the start of the offensive, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory; however, the Russian troops did not exit the country after they were supposed to finish. He told me his face was covered in blood," the father said while speaking to the outlet. Andrei, a Russian lieutenant, stopped fighting. "We rushed forward with short overnight stays, without trenches, without reconnaissance. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was . "I don't want to go [back to Ukraine] to kill and be killed," says Sergey - not his real name - who spent five weeks fighting in Ukraine earlier this year. By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. In July, for example, 17 Russian soldiers were reportedly detained in the country's eastern Luhansk region after they said they would not continue fighting in the war and tried to end their short-term contracts. He bombarded military officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help. 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.". A Warner Bros. Just refuse," Sergei recalls telling Stas, who was already an army officer. He simply declares that he has anti-war convictions. The commanders know only violence and intimidation. But his stand changed after the soldier found out he had been sent to fight with "no intelligence gathering, no preparation and no cover". They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. He gets it now. A Russian soldier's service card was stamped "traitor" for refusing . 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. This story has been shared 102,045 times. Almost all his comrades were under the age of 25. "You've got relatives there. 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. Troops are saying no to officers, knowing that punishment is light while Russia is not technically at war. A junior sergeant said he was injured during one of the recent Ukrainian attacks on the Russian border territory where he was stationed. Dmitris refusal to fight highlights some of the military difficulties the Russian army has faced as a result of the Kremlins political decision not to formally declare war on Ukraine preferring instead to describe the invasion, which will soon reach its fourth month, as a special military operation. We were fed once a day at lunchtime. This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. appreciated. Im tired. 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. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories . CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflict in Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some of his soldiers refuse to fight. Russian military regulations provide some legal justification and procedures for soldiers who disobey orders, according to Sergei Krivenko, a rights activist -- particularly for those who state they are anti-war, or pacifists. Im supposed to be ready for any situation; this war, this special operation, one soldier wrote. Eventually his efforts paid off. 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. 1 min read. Some large government-run companies have received letters urging them to sign up their staff for the army. According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the occupiers are not able to resolve problems with manning their units. So, they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. News/Politics 2022-12-22T11:35:49.577Z. Later that month he received an order to return to Ukraine - but told his commander that he was not prepared to go. They forgot their military oaths, the ceremonial promise, their vows of duty to their Fatherland, the board reads. That's what people who have come from there say.". As of July 20, the fate of the detained soldiers was unknown. 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. In January, Sergey was sent near the border with Ukraine for what he was told would be military drills. Because there are no criminal articles for requesting the termination of a contract based on anti-war beliefs, Krivenko told Current Time. The president announced what he called a "partial mobilisation", drafting hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens into the armed forces. 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. Earlier Ukraines General Staff reported that invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes. Albert Sakhibgareev was sent near the Ukrainian border in early February for "training exercises," the . Read about our approach to external linking. He told me his face was covered in blood. Russian troops sabotaging their own equipment and refusing orders in Ukraine, UK spy chief says Published Thu, Mar 31 2022 7:30 AM EDT Updated Thu, Mar 31 2022 4:40 PM EDT Chloe Taylor @ChloeTaylor141 But you have until 6 p.m. today. It is unfair, I am fighting in this war just as the others in Ukraine, risking my life, the soldier said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. The arrests of the soldiers, whose . "Pictures of Russian vehicles running out of fuel and casualties being abandoned where they . Soldiers are refusing to fire artillery on civilians until they clear the area. The bosses response was: We dont care about your problems, go ahead and quit. The soldier's testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. VLADIMIR Putin's demoralised and disillusioned troops are fleeing the war in Ukraine and surrendering without a fight, reports claim. Such an action would be "premature" without having assessed the harm to the military service he was involved in, the prosecutor said. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . One commander in northern Russia requested a criminal case be brought against his subordinate who would not return to Ukraine, but a military prosecutor refused to proceed, according to documents seen by the BBC. Im warning you, this is a final offer, he is heard telling the soldiers. 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. There have been an estimated 140 soldiers put behind bars in eastern Ukraine, with some allegedly guarded by pro-Moscow mercenaries in a military base surrounded by land mines, the Guardian reported. 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. 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 . Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. Boris Johnson's cabinet received an update from a senior national security official on Tuesday morning. In another incident where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to fight in Ukraine, the country's Operational Command South said Sunday in a Facebook post that a Russian military unit deployed in the south would not fight because of a lack of vital supplies such as water. The men, who belonged to the key headquarters of the Pskov . He was soon transferred to Belgorod, a Russian city close to the border with Ukraine, where he has been stationed since. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that.". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Russia struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine. If a soldier acts according to such procedures, then he cannot be criminally prosecuted for this. A Russian official this week responded to the Biden administration's refusal to rule out sending depleted uranium anti-tank munitions to Ukraine by warning that deployment of such weaponswhich have been linked to birth defects, miscarriages, and cancerwould be regarded by Moscow as use of "dirty nuclear bombs." According to . ", "We do not have any problems with soldiers leaving combat positions," the Kremlin leader continued. Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food. Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. Id rather bury you on the front line, on the line of defense, than give up my position, he said, describing the sentiments of his commanders. July 20, 2022 16:08 GMT. They'd been ordered to advance, but no one knew what lay ahead. 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. A similar account to Dmitris was given to the BBCs Russian service by Sergey Bokov, a 23-year-old soldier who at the end of April decided to leave the army after fighting in Ukraine. The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Mr Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 23. 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. A Russian military unit deployed in Ukraine's south has refused to fight over a lack of vital supplies such as water, Ukraine said Sunday. But, after a few months, he made the decision to sign a two-year professional contract which would also give him a salary. "Later I was told that the building they were in had been shelled and that all five men were missing. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russia's . The Russian defense ministry didnt respond to the Guardians request for comment. 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 . Their official status is missing in action. 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. Produced by Will Vernon. But, he had been sufficiently worried about his unit's reaction to his refusal that he decided to seek legal advice. People in Kyiv are being warned of street fighting and "subversive groups" on the third day of the Russian invasion, with reports of 198 Ukrainians dead nationwide since troops first crossed the . The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a . Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, said the authorities may be worried that a general mobilisation would antagonise large sections of the population that support the special operation. RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. It is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression; it is a war without a just cause. 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. The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. That is not to say that prosecutions are not being attempted. Dmytrashkivskyi added the Russians had carried out 15 assaults over the past day, while the same number stood at 60 assaults per day a month ago. Russias troops in Ukraine are largely made up of contract soldiers: volunteer personnel who sign fixed-term contracts for service. Russian paratroopers. But you cannot force people to fight.". I have nothing to be ashamed of. My daughter was born three months ago. 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. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. 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 Russian fleet was said to be preparing to shell port city Odessa and land troops. For that they sent my son to a detention centre. The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". ", "My first thoughts were 'Is this really happening to me?'". Russian state media aired footage of blitzed buildings and abandoned streets in Bakhmut , the eastern city where Ukrainian forces have been . After that, I wont look at any new offers.. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Emilio Morenatti. - Ukraine's President . 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. AP. Russian . They don't care about the life of a soldier; whats more important is his position and rank, Kaminsky said. 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. While the exact number of soldiers refusing to fight remains unclear, such stories illustrate what military experts and western governments say is one of Russias biggest obstacles in Ukraine: a severe shortage of infantry soldiers. Quote from the General Staff: "Troops from the so-called . According to Kaminsky, the pressure ended up working in part: As of July 16, 50 of the 78 soldiers who had demanded to return to their home base had relented. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflict in Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin boasts of success, though some of his soldiers refuse to fight. Russian troops also lost territory in the southern Kherson region as well as the Lyman transport hub in eastern Ukraine. In his conversations with Current Time, Kaminsky lamented what he described as commanders callous disregard for the wellbeing of their troops. 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 . Nearly all . 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. "The commanders' aim is to keep the soldiers down there. He refused so they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. They began to stir and offer up some alternatives when people started specifically saying no, he said. A Russian court sentenced Marsel Kandarov to five years in prison for refusing to take part in the special military operation. 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 . Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much In all, 78 soldiers including Kaminsky openly challenged his orders, and demanded to be either sent home or reassigned, he said. "They are keeping people there because they wanted to leave, refused to fight," the father alleged. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. Along with eight others, Dmitri told his commanders that he refused to rejoin the invasion. Sergei (not his real name) says his son was beaten with a pistol for refusing to go back to the frontlines, There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Our commanders didnt even argue with us because we were not the first ones to leave, Bokov said. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake. Because they ignore everything. Born in Russia, he graduated from St. Petersburg State University and also received film and video production training at Bard College in New York. The soldier, along with several others who decided not to take part in the fight anymore, put his refusal in writing. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. The private then pushed the officer in the chest. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflictin Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some ofhis soldiers refuse to fight. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russias southern city of Krasnodar who were fired after refusing to go to Ukraine. "I think that [so many of] our guys died largely because of this. What's he waiting for? According to the head of his military commandant's office, Kononov was found at his place of residence with a friend after a search. 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. And that means he cant be prosecuted for desertion or going AWOL. I thought a long time about it and came to the decision. According to an audio recording shared with Current Time, commanders met with the insubordinate soldiers on July 17, alternately threatening, begging, and trying to coerce them to remain in service or rescind their resignation requests. Sergey is just one of hundreds of Russian soldiers understood to have been seeking such advice. But then someone said they'd take my son to work in the storeroom. Sergei has invited us to his home to tell us their story. Unit commanders then staged an intervention. He said he would put his refusal in writing. Then I got a text message saying he and four other officers had been put in a basement. It doesn't make sense. Sergey joined the army as a conscript - most Russian men between the ages of 18-27 must complete one year of compulsory military service. Separately, a military tribunal in Moscow sentenced a soldier to five years and six months in a penal colony for beating an officer during an argument, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday. Discovery Company. The soldier, not wanting to take part in a special military operation, did not report for duty in May 2022, said the press service on Thursday for courts in the region of Bashkortostan in the southern Urals. Sergei made several trips to the front line to try to secure his son's release. Youre just a soldier for them; youre nobody.. Stas was sent back to Russia. I told him: 'Better to take it. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine. 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. 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. Russians might be in favour of the conflict, but they dont actually want to fight, he said, adding that a general mobilisation would entail colossal losses of untrained soldiers. I signed a contract. I understood that I had to refuse so I could stay alive, 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. 02:32. 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported Friday that Russian officials have detained contract soldiers who refuse to fight in special detention camps in occupied Ukraine. It's not a war of liberation.' At the beginning of April, Sergey was sent back over the border to a camp on the Russian side. Ilya Kononov, a contract soldier from the city of Pskov in western Russia, was charged with "unauthorized . Some Russian soldiers and even whole units are "refusing to fight" in Ukraine, top UK security officials reported today. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Sergey says he is traumatised by his experience in Ukraine. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . As Russia has faced a surprisingly effective resistance from Ukraine, there have been reports of low soldier morale and chaos among the commanding ranks. Mr. Putin had resisted ordering a mobilization for months, but his decision underscored the Kremlin's struggles on the battlefield, where more than 80,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or . 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. When his son was sent to fight in Ukraine, Sergei begged him not to go. 2d ago. 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