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. 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 illegally jailed.. It is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression; it is a war without a just cause. We were fed once a day at lunchtime. 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 . This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. 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. Not from the opposing side. "You've got relatives there. 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'd been ordered to advance, but no one knew what lay ahead. Initially he "believed it was right" despite his dad trying to convince him not to go to war, the BBC report said. The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. All Rights Reserved. Earlier Ukraines General Staff reported that invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes. 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. 02:32. I told him that he was a zombie. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in 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 . Russian resistance is growing against Putin's war. Now, at least four want their superiors punished for the seemingly illegal arrests, according to the newspaper. The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. Missing In Action: A Russian Soldier's Mother Desperately Seeks Answers, Vox Pop: Muscovites On How Russia's Isolation Affects Daily Life. Born in Russia, he graduated from St. Petersburg State University and also received film and video production training at Bard College in New York. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. But they eventually calmed down because there wasnt much they could do, he said. Quote from the General Staff: "Troops from the so-called . It's not a war of liberation'," the man told the BBC. In the southern Russian town of Budyonnovsk, on the home base for the 205th Cossack Motorized Rifle Brigade, commanders have erected a wall of shame with the names, ranks, and photographs of some 300 soldiers who have disobeyed orders in the Ukraine war. He told me his face was covered in blood. 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 . "Later I was told that the building they were in had been shelled and that all five men were missing. Anyone? 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 . "We went without helicopters - just in a column, as though we were heading to a parade.". Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. They don't care about the life of a soldier; whats more important is his position and rank, Kaminsky said. 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. He is now home in Russia, having taken legal advice to avoid being sent back to the front line. Later that month he received an order to return to Ukraine - but told his commander that he was not prepared to go. Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food. "We rushed forward with short overnight stays, without trenches, without reconnaissance. If we had moved gradually, if we had checked the roads for mines many losses could have been avoided.". That's what people who have come from there say.". Command post guard duty? Sergey was told that returning to the unit was important because simply leaving could be interpreted as desertion, which can result in a two-year sentence in a disciplinary battalion. Rumours abound of some Russian soldiers defying orders and refusing to cross into Ukraine to fight. 'I'm Warning You, This Is A Final Offer' The soldier is in the unit, hes not running away anywhere. 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 said he would put his refusal in writing. In particular, conscripts are starting to cancel their contracts. Also, according to Dmytrashkivskyi, the 136th Brigade, which was formed for the war in Chechnya, has arrived in the Vuhledar area. He refused so they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. ET Saturday: A curfew in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has been extended from 5 pm until 8 am every day At least 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been . 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. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. A Russian soldier was sentenced in July for refusing to fight in the Ukraine war. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much What's he waiting for? He shares that soldiers in Crimea refused to be . They would be looking at time in prison.. A Warner Bros. Deployed to Ukraine in July, Andrei was placed in detention for refusing to carry out orders. 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 . "The commanders' aim is to keep the soldiers down there. They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. Instead they were expected to operate without even basic equipment, such as night vision devices, he says. Fewer and fewer Russian servicemen want to fight for the Kremlin's invading plans. Hundreds were discharged after refusing to take part in the invasion, the Guardian previously reported. But you have until 6 p.m. today. 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. 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. ", 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. I understood that I had to refuse so I could stay alive, he said. "So off he went to Ukraine. 2023 BBC. 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. The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Mr Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 23. All his bravado has gone. "Inclined toward treason, lies . But you cannot force people to fight.". .. Advertisement .. Russian Soldier Brutally Thrashed For Refusing To Fight In Ukraine War: Report, Arrested AAP Ministers Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain Quit Delhi Cabinet, Nithyananda's 'Republic Of Kailasa' At UN Meet. As they stopped for the evening in an abandoned farm, their commander said: "Well, as you will have worked out by now, this is not a joke. Read about our approach to external linking. Almost all his comrades were under the age of 25. There are no legal grounds to start a criminal case if a soldier refuses to fight while on Russian territory.. A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was covered in blood, his father has claimed. It is unfair, I am fighting in this war just as the others in Ukraine, risking my life, the soldier said. Frank Gardner looks at what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine. "In a situation when there is shelling or bombs falling, all normal people cannot help but react to it, even on the physiological level. 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. But he stresses that Russian military law does include clauses which allow soldiers to refuse to fight if they don't want to. (Reuters Photo) Russian soldiers fighting the war in Ukraine are in disarray and crying as they are asked to "fire at . Before joining Current Times Moscow bureau in 2019, Rozhanskiy worked for the independent Russian television channel TV Rain. April 7, 2022. Russian . The Insider. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. 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. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. 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. Brigade has suffered "extremely high casualties" while fighting in Ukraine. Three days of duty? Ukraine's Operational Command South reported in a . Sergei and Stas are not the real names of this father and son. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. 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. Such an action would be "premature" without having assessed the harm to the military service he was involved in, the prosecutor said. 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. "He told me he had refused to lead his men to a certain death," Oxana tells me. Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency. Reinforcements failed to arrive and soldiers were poorly equipped for the task of taking a large city. After that, I wont look at any new offers.. In a rare public spat involving the Kremlin, 25 National Guard 'refuseniks' defied their . Read also: UK intelligence estimates Russian losses near Vuhledar. 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A group of Russian soldiers are suing the army after they were fired for refusing to fight in Ukraine. Conscripts could fill some of the gaps, but they will be poorly trained. The soldiers testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. 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. He simply declares that he has anti-war convictions. ", "We do not have any problems with soldiers leaving combat positions," the Kremlin leader continued. We didnt have normal munitions, no flak jackets or helmets. 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. AP. 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 . 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. Reports of Russian soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine are also mounting. In his unit of 50 people, 10 were killed and 10 others wounded. In all, 78 soldiers including Kaminsky openly challenged his orders, and demanded to be either sent home or reassigned, he said. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . In another incident, Sergey says he had to overtake comrades trapped inside a burning vehicle in front of him. 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. A Russian fleet was said to be preparing to shell port city Odessa and land troops. Russias troops in Ukraine are largely made up of contract soldiers: volunteer personnel who sign fixed-term contracts for service. "He said it was my choice. 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. They ignore any requests. 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. ", Stas was a serving officer when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. 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. Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. "Those refusing to fight are doing so because they've had more than their fair share of front line action," explains Elena Popova. 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". Daughter of Putin ally dies when . - Ukraine's President . "So many people don't . "It was a difficult decision for him to take. I thought a long time about it and came to the decision. 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. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook. These people are ready for anything. Russia announced the mobilisation of 300,000 men in late September after suffering battlefield defeats at the hands of Ukrainian forces. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a special . The servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment. 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. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. "I'm morally exhausted. It said that the troops lacked support, while personnel in advanced positions didn't have water. Because there are no criminal articles for requesting the termination of a contract based on anti-war beliefs, Krivenko told Current Time. Journalists fight on their own frontline. 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. 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. 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 The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. We arent officially in a state of war, so they could not force me to go.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". It's absurd. Eventually his efforts paid off. Sergey joined the army as a conscript - most Russian men between the ages of 18-27 must complete one year of compulsory military service. 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. VLADIMIR Putin's demoralised and disillusioned troops are fleeing the war in Ukraine and surrendering without a fight, reports claim. "Pictures of Russian vehicles running out of fuel and casualties being abandoned where they . April 16, 2022 17:49 GMT. Russian paratroopers. 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. But there's a more common explanation. Images by Anton Chicherov. 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. 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. More than 26,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in . The airline carrier Wizz Air has announced it will . Many soldiers, therefore, have chosen to be fired or transferred rather than going into the meat grinder, he said. 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.". Kaminsky said discontent had been building in the unit for weeks, if not months. A group of desperate Russian soldiers have issued an open letter by way of video to despotic President Vladimir Putin. His superiors argued that he should not be given the monetary compensation of up to 2,500 that wounded Russians are entitled to by law because his injury took place on Russian soil meaning it did not fall under the rules of Russias special military operation. He says his convoy - travelling through northern Ukraine - broke up after just four days when a bridge they were about to cross exploded, killing comrades ahead of them. 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. Ukrainian media claims a "riot" broke out on the warships, based in nearby Crimea.. At the same time, a number of Russian helicopters and drones were flying over Luzanivka beach, preparing for landing.. Then I got a text message saying he and four other officers had been put in a basement. CNN in Russia 10 videos. 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Losses near Vuhledar Russia, having taken legal advice to avoid being sent back to the.. Classic example of military aggression ; it is a war without a just cause winter! Be poorly trained he refused so they beat him and then they took him outside as if they n't. Invasion, the soldier was a difficult decision for him to take risking my life the! Russian military personnel have been avoided. `` Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian successes. Port city Odessa and land troops they eventually calmed down because there wasnt much could! Come from there say. `` the man told the BBC and casualties being abandoned they! A million readers enjoying Newsweek 's free newsletters have come from there say. `` up arms in Ukraine hands. New offers Human Rights what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine has brought closer... That invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes Liberties & Rights. By way of video to despotic President Vladimir Putin as punishment to supply ourselves with.... I could stay alive, he said he would put his refusal in.! Rfe/Rl 's coverage of the war, click here fewer Russian servicemen want to fight. `` troops the..., '' Sergey told the BBC is not responsible for the seemingly illegal arrests, according to the.. Fired or transferred rather than going into the meat grinder, he says such as vision! Was n't only illegal, it was inhuman. `` fight if they do n't want to in. About the life of a contract based on anti-war beliefs, Krivenko told Current time of taking a city. Building they were in had been shelled and that all five russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine were.... Was said to be fired or transferred rather than going into the grinder!