Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. But there's a more common explanation. Timofei Rozhanskiy is a correspondent in Kyiv for Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. It caught fire and there were [Russian] soldiers inside. It's absurd. "I think that [so many of] our guys died largely because of this. 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. Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. He shares that soldiers in Crimea refused to be . 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. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. "We're on the same wavelength now," Sergei tells me. Earlier Ukraines General Staff reported that invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes. The announcement triggered an exodus of men from Russia, with many fleeing to neighbouring countries including Armenia, Georgia and Kazakhstan. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Source: cnnespanol All news articles on 2023-02-28 You may like. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 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. 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. He told me his face was covered in blood. 'You're Nobody' Sergey is just one of hundreds of Russian soldiers understood to have been seeking such advice. Later that month he received an order to return to Ukraine - but told his commander that he was not prepared to go. 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. But you cannot force people to fight.". Law enforcement located the man, Marsel Kandarov, in September, the statement added. 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.". 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. 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. Read also: UK intelligence estimates Russian losses near Vuhledar. Eventually his efforts paid off. Soldiers like Sergey - reluctant to return to the front line - are not unusual, according to Ruslan Leviev, the editor of Conflict Intelligence Team, a media project investigating the experiences of the Russian military in Ukraine through confidential interviews and open source material. Brigade has suffered "extremely high casualties" while fighting in Ukraine. 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. Conscripts could fill some of the gaps, but they will be poorly trained. 'I'm Warning You, This Is A Final Offer' Produced by Will Vernon. The latest as of 7.15 a.m. "Some soldiers, under the . The soldier, along with several others who decided not to take part in the fight anymore, put his refusal in writing. Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. "But refusing to fight was a difficult decision for him to take. Servicemen fire a 120mm mortar towards Russian positions at the frontline near Bakhmut, Ukraine. "It was a difficult decision for him to take. 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. 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. 1 min read. The soldier's testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. The bosses response was: We dont care about your problems, go ahead and quit. 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 . It doesn't make sense. I understand everything, of course. 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. 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. Perhaps this is due to the weather conditions, which doesnt allow them to actively use military equipment now, the spokesperson said. 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. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine. We didnt have normal munitions, no flak jackets or helmets. Soldiers are refusing to fire artillery on civilians until they clear the area. By India Today Web Desk: As Russian troops try to take control over Ukraine's capital Kyiv, residents of the city are taking up arms to stand in the fight along with the country's military against Moscow's invasion.India Today's Rajesh Pawar visited an office of the Territorial Defence Forces in the city, where citizens are being equipped with weapons to defend against and fight off the . Almost immediately his unit found itself under attack. . Argument | Michael Walzer. "Those refusing to fight are doing so because they've had more than their fair share of front line action," explains Elena Popova. 2023 BBC. 2d ago. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. Russia lacks sufficient ground units with contract soldiers for a sustainable rotation. I have nothing to be ashamed of. 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. 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. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! 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. "There are held in pits, tortured and things like that. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. 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. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories . I will serve my remaining time and then I am out of here, he said. Ilya Kononov, a contract soldier from the city of Pskov in western Russia, was charged with "unauthorized . Human rights activist Sergei Krivenko says he is not aware of any prosecutions of those refusing to return to the front. 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. Their official status is missing in action. 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. 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. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). Not from the opposing side. Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. 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.". Western intelligence agencies say Russias losses are substantial; a top British military commander told the BBC this week that up to 50,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the invasion was launched on February 24. We were illegally jailed.. This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. His unit moved on through the Ukrainian countryside, but there was a clear lack of strategy, he says. The code has been copied to your clipboard. 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 . 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. 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.". They would be looking at time in prison.. The Insider. 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 . The arrests of the soldiers, whose . Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have "absolutely no trust" in their higher command. I didn't look back.". That's what people who have come from there say.". It is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression; it is a war without a just cause. I have served for five years in the army. They ignore any requests. Many Russian soldiers would rather be dismissed or transferred than fight in Ukraine. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". 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. July 20, 2022 16:08 GMT. 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". Why wasn't it done?". ", 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. 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 . 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. As Russia has faced a surprisingly effective resistance from Ukraine, there have been reports of low soldier morale and chaos among the commanding ranks. The soldier is in the unit, hes not running away anywhere. In Buryatia, where the 11th Brigade is based, dozens of personnel have sought legal assistance from local activists, seeking to break their contracts and get out of service in Ukraine, for various reasons. Before joining Current Times Moscow bureau in 2019, Rozhanskiy worked for the independent Russian television channel TV Rain. We didn't leave anyone in the rear, so if someone decided to come in from behind and hit us there was no protection. 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. 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. The range of experience varies. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . Missing In Action: A Russian Soldier's Mother Desperately Seeks Answers, Vox Pop: Muscovites On How Russia's Isolation Affects Daily Life. Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 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. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a special . Almost all his comrades were under the age of 25. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that.". 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. ", "People here don't understand how much danger we're in. They just don't care. 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. 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. Commanders try to threaten their soldiers with prison time if they dissent, but we tell the soldiers that they can simply say no, Benyash said, adding that he was not aware of any criminal cases against soldiers who refused to fight. We arent officially in a state of war, so they could not force me to go.. He and several others who'd decided to refuse had their guns taken off them and were put under armed guard.". Other units include troops from private military companies like Vagner, or specialized, semiautonomous units overseen by Chechnyas strongman leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. But, after a few months, he made the decision to sign a two-year professional contract which would also give him a salary. Jan 27, 2023. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook. This is not our war. Ukrainian soldiers move on the road in the freed territory in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. I told him: 'Better to take it. He said the "Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights" being witnessed in the world today. 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. It said that the troops lacked support, while personnel in advanced positions didn't have water. But his stand changed after the soldier found out he had been sent to fight with "no intelligence gathering, no preparation and no cover". Im supposed to be ready for any situation; this war, this special operation, one soldier wrote. VLADIMIR Putin's demoralised and disillusioned troops are fleeing the war in Ukraine and surrendering without a fight, reports claim. They forgot their military oaths, the ceremonial promise, their vows of duty to their Fatherland, the board reads. AP. The whole time, not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest. Discovery Company. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. 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. I understood that I had to refuse so I could stay alive, he said. "It's a way of making people go back into that bloodbath," says Elena Popova from Russia's Movement of Conscientious Objectors. Read about our approach to external linking. "As an officer he understood that if they went ahead, they wouldn't get out alive. High casualties & quot ; not wanting to take western russia, with many fleeing to countries! He said I 'm Warning You, this is due to the fire artillery civilians. Support us with a one-time donation, or specialized, semiautonomous units overseen Chechnyas. News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world ' I 'm You! 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