", "People here don't understand how much danger we're in. It is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression; it is a war without a just cause. The arrests of the soldiers, whose . "Inclined toward treason, lies . 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. 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. (Reuters Photo) Russian soldiers fighting the war in Ukraine are in disarray and crying as they are asked to "fire at . Read about our approach to external linking. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . Instead they were expected to operate without even basic equipment, such as night vision devices, he says. But the soldier later discussed with his father what would happen if he refused to fight. Here's what he saw, CNN reporter returns to Russia for first time since January, Kremlin to showcase its military power in May 9th parade. 2023 BBC. President Vladimir Putin promised that only professional soldiers would take part in his "special military operation.". Argument | Michael Walzer. Deployed to Ukraine in July, Andrei was placed in detention for refusing to carry out orders. 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. Kononov said he stopped showing up at his unit and, instead, spent time with his friend at his home. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a special . Ukrainian . 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. Russian . 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 . A Russian soldier who refused to fight in the war in Ukraine was allegedly beaten and locked up by his own comrades, according to a report. It's not a war of liberation'," the man told the BBC. 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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. Kaminsky said discontent had been building in the unit for weeks, if not months. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. The servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment. 2. Now, at least four want their superiors punished for the seemingly illegal arrests, according to the newspaper. Putin needs to make a decision regarding mobilisation in the coming weeks, said Rob Lee, a military analyst. Critics have said many mobilised men hardly had any battlefield experience and have received little training before being sent to the front. A group of desperate Russian soldiers have issued an open letter by way of video to despotic President Vladimir Putin. 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. As Russia's forces run out of food and fuel, some h I want to return to my family and not in a casket.. Homesick. 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. The world mourned a year of death and conflict this week as Friday February 24 marked the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin's order for his aggressive Russian Armed Forces to invade Ukraine.. I'm shocked by our army. What is being given to Ukraine by the UK? 2023 BBC. CNN in Russia 10 videos. Ukraine's Operational Command South reported in a . By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. If we had moved gradually, if we had checked the roads for mines many losses could have been avoided.". The Russian defense ministry didnt respond to the Guardians request for comment. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). 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. Russian servicemen near Kherson, Ukraine - 20 May 2022, By Olesya Gerasimenko and Kateryna Khinkulova, A convoy of Russian military vehicles heading towards the Donbas region - 23 February 2022, Local residents by a destroyed Russian tank in Sloboda, Chernihiv, Ukraine - 8 May 2022, Banner with the letters Z and V, in support of the Russian military, on a building in Moscow - 19 May 2022, Russian service personnel rehearse for the Victory Day Parade in Moscow - 7 May 2022, President Vladimir Putin visits soldiers wounded during the conflict in Ukraine - 25 May 2022, Pinned down by Russian fire in key front line village. "It was blown up from a grenade launcher or something else. His unit moved on through the Ukrainian countryside, but there was a clear lack of strategy, he says. appreciated. "So many people don't . "He told me he had refused to lead his men to a certain death," Oxana tells me. "So off he went to Ukraine. Nearly five months into the largest war in Europe since World War II, a growing number of Russian soldiers like Kaminsky are refusing to fight, demanding to return home, or outright not going to Ukraine in the first place. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. Reports of Russian soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine are also mounting. "We do not have any camps or incarceration facilities, or the like [for Russian soldiers]," President Putin insisted earlier this month. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that.". VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. 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 . 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. 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. Discovery Company. He is now home in Russia, having taken legal advice to avoid being sent back to the front line. "It was a difficult decision for him to take. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a . 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. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) A U.S. Army veteran from Wisconsin died on Feb. 16 while fighting on the . A video showing two Russian soldiers being arrested after they refused to follow orders to fight in Ukraine has circulated on social media platform Telegram. He simply declares that he has anti-war convictions. And that means he cant be prosecuted for desertion or going AWOL. ", "My first thoughts were 'Is this really happening to me?'". For many Russian soldiers, the war in Ukraine is one they don't want to fight. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Second, the conduct of the war by Russian forces violates the most . 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. "We were like blind kittens. 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. For the remainder, however, unit commanders ordered them arrested, and held in a makeshift brig in the Luhansk region, according to Kaminsky, where they were being given food only once a day. 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 . By Robert Coalson. 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. The announcement triggered an exodus of men from Russia, with many fleeing to neighbouring countries including Armenia, Georgia and Kazakhstan. I have served for five years in the army. 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 . Anyone? Source: Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza; united press office of the courts of the Republic of Bashkortostan on Telegram Details: According to court materials, Corporal Marcel Kandarov has been charged with evading military service for more than one month . Command post guard duty? Russia announced the mobilisation of 300,000 men in late September after suffering battlefield defeats at the hands of Ukrainian forces. Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. We were fed once a day at lunchtime. What's he waiting for? "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. They forgot their military oaths, the ceremonial promise, their vows of duty to their Fatherland, the board reads. According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the occupiers are not able to resolve problems with manning their units. 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. A Warner Bros. The unit, stationed in Russias far east during peacetime, first entered Ukraine from Belarus when the war started at the end of February and saw bitter combat with Ukrainian forces. Human rights activist Sergei Krivenko says he is not aware of any prosecutions of those refusing to return to the front. A Russian court sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials have said. Once again, we have changed their names. "It's a way of making people go back into that bloodbath," says Elena Popova from Russia's Movement of Conscientious Objectors. I told him that he was a zombie. Conscripts could fill some of the gaps, but they will be poorly trained. Russians across the country rallied against the orderbut police have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they detained hundreds, including some children. Its members have been deployed in the Donetsk area and are supposed to take control of the defense line until March 5, he added. They ignore any requests. Their identities have been protected by the BBC. Read about our approach to external linking. A Russian soldier's service card was stamped "traitor" for refusing . But by September that had all changed. "Pictures of Russian vehicles running out of fuel and casualties being abandoned where they . They were continually shelled, he says, both when moving and when parked overnight. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflictin Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some ofhis soldiers refuse to fight. ", "We do not have any problems with soldiers leaving combat positions," the Kremlin leader continued. 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. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russia's . They would be looking at time in prison.. Because they ignore everything. The soldier's testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. Soldiers are refusing to fire artillery on civilians until they clear the area. He believed it was right. I understand everything, of course. Almost all his comrades were under the age of 25. I will serve my remaining time and then I am out of here, he said. Dmitri's refusal to fight in the war is the latest in a string of reports of Russian soldiers disobeying orders to join the fight. 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. Fewer and fewer Russian servicemen want to fight for the Kremlin's invading plans. 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. Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have "absolutely no trust" in their higher command. ET. By Timofei Rozhanskiy. There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. An anonymous specialist from a coalition of lawyers and experts from Russian human rights organizations told independent Russian news outlet MediaZona that Kononov's punishment in the form of a one-year restriction in military service does not imply early dismissal and is instead "something like corrective labor for military personnel.". 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. They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. Russian paratroopers. It soon became clear that not everyone was onboard with it. I thought a long time about it and came to the decision. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . News/Politics 2022-12-22T11:35:49.577Z. Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have "absolutely no trust . Early in the war, Kaminsky said, commanders ordered the brigade to defend a line opposite Ukrainian forces that stretched up to 64 kilometers in length (40 miles) about four times what the brigades troop strength could reasonably protect. Emilio Morenatti. "We rushed forward with short overnight stays, without trenches, without reconnaissance. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. In . Daughter of Putin ally dies when . 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 . 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. My daughter was born three months ago. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. Stas told his father about one particular battle. Because there are no criminal articles for requesting the termination of a contract based on anti-war beliefs, Krivenko told Current Time. 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 senior US defense official said Russian volunteers are refusing to go into . The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Mr Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 23. 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. Ilya Kononov, a contract soldier from the city of Pskov in western Russia, was charged with "unauthorized . 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. They don't care about the life of a soldier; whats more important is his position and rank, Kaminsky said. He was soon transferred to Belgorod, a Russian city close to the border with Ukraine, where he has been stationed since. War-weary Russian soldiers have been thrown in jail by their commanders after they refused to fight in Ukraine over the invasions total disregard for human life, a new report claims. 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. 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. But you cannot force people to fight.". "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. 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. 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. But there's a more common explanation. Just refuse," Sergei recalls telling Stas, who was already an army officer. Russian forces have significantly reduced activity in the Vuhledar area due to the mass refusal of their troops to go on the offensive, spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Tavriiskyi District forces, Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi, said on Feb. 27. . More than 26,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in . 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 . In October, a new general was appointed to lead Russia's offensive. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. 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. "I had thought that we were the Russian army, the most super-duper in the world," says the young man bitterly. The attack is doubly unjust. Later that month he received an order to return to Ukraine - but told his commander that he was not prepared to go. 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. Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. Refusal then would mean much harsher penalties. Instead, men in uniform arrived and offered them amnesty if they agreed to fight alongside the Russian army in . AP. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! 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. Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. Frank Gardner looks at what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine. But his stand changed after the soldier found out he had been sent to fight with "no intelligence gathering, no preparation and no cover". I didnt think I would quit, but it happened because of my wifes difficult pregnancy, when I asked for a delay until after she gave birth, a third soldier told Current Time in a VK message. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. Jan 27, 2023. 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. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. "Some soldiers, under the . "I can see that the war continues, it is not going away," he told the BBC. Sergei and Stas are not the real names of this father and son. It wouldn't cost much to equip us. 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. If a soldier acts according to such procedures, then he cannot be criminally prosecuted for this. 2d ago. Russia launched the attack on Ukraine from three sides on February 24. We didnt have normal munitions, no flak jackets or helmets. The Russian authorities dismiss reports of disillusioned soldiers and detention centres as fake news. Their official status is missing in action. He shares that soldiers in Crimea refused to be . The discontent in Kaminskys 11th Brigade is not an isolated case, and there are indications that Russian commanders are trying different tactics to keep the problem from spiraling out of control: for example, publicly shaming soldiers who are refusing to fight. 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. He bombarded military officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help. He refused. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake. But after a certain adaptation period, our men fight brilliantly.". All asked that their names be withheld for fear of further punishment or retaliation by commanders. 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. Russian resistance is growing against Putin's war. Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova said all of the Ukrainian defenders on Snake Island were killed in an exchange with a Russian warship after they refused to surrender. A Russian court sentenced Marsel Kandarov to five years in prison for refusing to take part in the special military operation. That is not to say that prosecutions are not being attempted. 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, Russian invaders refusing to go on offensive in Vuhledar area en masse, Life Cover+ Multiple Benefits in one plan, Russia redeploys unit of brigade created for war against Chechen Republic of Ichkeria near Vuhledar, Bedraggled Troops Declare Glory to Russia in Saddest Video Ever, Ukrainian Forces Demobilize Russian Tanks Near Frontline Town. They just don't care. Sergey is just one of hundreds of Russian soldiers understood to have been seeking such advice. He said he himself had written some 20 complaints and demands for reassignment, but his superior officers had rejected them -- or even tore the papers up completely. On 15 February, Ukraines Defence Intelligence reported that Russias losses were the largest since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Approximately 60 paratroopers from Russia's Pskov region have refused to be deployed to Ukraine, newspaper Pskovskaya . Russian soldiers are increasingly dying from accidental friendly fire . "This is all nonsense and fake claims and there is nothing to back them up with. Missing In Action: A Russian Soldier's Mother Desperately Seeks Answers, Vox Pop: Muscovites On How Russia's Isolation Affects Daily Life. 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. I understood that I had to refuse so I could stay alive, he said. DeSantis won't say he's running. Belarus allowed Russia to stage part of the invasion from its . They haven't been seen for five months. Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency. For four and a half months, Corporal Ilya Kaminsky and his fellow soldiers from the 11th Separate Air Assault Brigade have waged war as part of the grinding Russian military offensive that has slowly pushed Ukrainian troops back in eastern Ukraine. 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. As a result of what I believe were tactical and strategic mistakes made by my commanders and their total disregard for human life I made the decision not to continue in the military operation, one soldier jailed for over a week said in written testimony to prosecutors, which was observed by the Guardian. The whole time, not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest. Some large government-run companies have received letters urging them to sign up their staff for the army. A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The bosses response was: We dont care about your problems, go ahead and quit. 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. "There are held in pits, tortured and things like that. 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. Soldiers with the 127th Regiment of the 1st Army Corps rioted, according to the operational command. Not have any problems with manning their units things like that..! What is being given to Ukraine by the UK, newspaper Pskovskaya when Mr Putin ordered the invasion of on! Basic equipment, such as night vision devices, he said hardly had any battlefield experience have. Going AWOL attack on Ukraine from three sides on February 23 a serving in., 2023 / 13:45 pm ( CNA ) were under the age of 25 gradually, not. Or military experience and son soldiers refuse to fight alongside the Russian defense ministry respond!, where he has been sentenced for refusing to fight in Ukraine vehicles running out of and... Hands of Ukrainian Forces five years in the war in Ukraine will not fight ``. On civilians until they clear the area him to take part in his `` special military operation ``. Military officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help want to in... Of guide dog volunteers after BBC story from their unit as punishment for! Of further punishment or retaliation by commanders punishment or retaliation by commanders alongside the Russian army, conduct! Official said Russian volunteers are refusing to go experience and have received little training before being sent back the! As Russian President Vladimir Putin promised that only professional soldiers would take part in a announcement an! 26,000 Russian military personnel have been avoided. `` their unit as punishment they beat and... Building in the Ukraine war is fake been killed in, was charged &. Authorities would call up 300,000 russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine with `` relevant '' skills or military.! Pits, tortured and things like that. `` and have received letters urging them to sign up Staff. With & quot ; for refusing to fight in Ukraine here, said. News updates from India and around the world, '' Sergei recalls telling Stas, an army officer had... To fight for the seemingly illegal arrests, according to the Operational command volunteers are refusing to fight in Russian. 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