During wartime, rules are totally different. When his son was sent to fight in Ukraine, Sergei begged him not to go. The whole time, not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest. But he stresses that Russian military law does include clauses which allow soldiers to refuse to fight if they don't want to. Kaminsky said discontent had been building in the unit for weeks, if not months. For some Russians, refusing to return to the front line may be a moral stand. Russians across the country rallied against the orderbut police have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they detained hundreds, including some children. Eventually his efforts paid off. He told me his face was covered in blood," the father said while speaking to the outlet. President Vladimir Putin promised that only professional soldiers would take part in his "special military operation.". It's not a war of liberation.' Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. As Russia's forces run out of food and fuel, some h They said no remains had been found. CNN in Russia 10 videos. 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 announced the mobilisation of 300,000 men in late September after suffering battlefield defeats at the hands of Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian . They were continually shelled, he says, both when moving and when parked overnight. But I was thinking, Im still young; at any moment, a piece of shrapnel, a bullet could fly into my head. 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 . 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. They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. And this, according to a video on social media app Telegram, has . 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. 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. Critics have said many mobilised men hardly had any battlefield experience and have received little training before being sent to the front. And that means he cant be prosecuted for desertion or going AWOL. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russia's . Finance chiefs at a Group of 20 conference in India this weekend issued a joint statement condemning Moscow for its war in Ukraine, with only China and Russia declining to sign. 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 man narrated the ordeal his son suffered to the BBC, saying that he had begged his son not to go. Unit commanders then staged an intervention. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. He and several others who'd decided to refuse had their guns taken off them and were put under armed guard.". Troops are saying no to officers, knowing that punishment is light while Russia is not technically at war. In another incident, Sergey says he had to overtake comrades trapped inside a burning vehicle in front of him. Updated at 1:10 p.m. on April 14 to add that the soldier's lawyer has taken down the original photo of the service card. Once again, we have changed their names. Separately, a military tribunal said it sentenced Kandarov to five years behind bars for evading military service during mobilisation for more than a month. It said that the troops lacked support, while personnel in advanced positions didn't have water. It's not a war of liberation'," the man told the BBC. Belarus allowed Russia to stage part of the invasion from its . I still havent seen her. Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine. Artillery sentry duty? 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 . This is not our war. The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. Sergei and Stas are not the real names of this father and son. 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.. Sergey joined the army as a conscript - most Russian men between the ages of 18-27 must complete one year of compulsory military service. Their identities have been protected by the BBC. He's changed completely. "We do not have any camps or incarceration facilities, or the like [for Russian soldiers]," President Putin insisted earlier this month. More than 26,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in . 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. The troops are getting exhausted they wont be able to keep this up for a long period.. He refused so they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. Refusal then would mean much harsher penalties. 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. Such an action would be "premature" without having assessed the harm to the military service he was involved in, the prosecutor said. 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. Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency. The president announced what he called a "partial mobilisation", drafting hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens into the armed forces. Frank Gardner looks at what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers move on the road in the freed territory in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. A group of Russian soldiers are suing the army after they were fired for refusing to fight in Ukraine. 2. A junior sergeant said he was injured during one of the recent Ukrainian attacks on the Russian border territory where he was stationed. "I'm morally exhausted. "I can see that the war continues, it is not going away," he told the BBC. 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. The men, who belonged to the key headquarters of the Pskov . 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.". By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. Argument | Michael Walzer. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On 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. Produced by Will Vernon. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. I understood that I had to refuse so I could stay alive, he said. Russian . Brigade has suffered "extremely high casualties" while fighting in Ukraine. They haven't been seen for five months. 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. The Russian defense ministry didnt respond to the Guardians request for comment. Back in his living room, Sergei tells me that what happened to Stas in Ukraine has brought them closer together. "Then they took him into a room and told him: 'You're coming with us, otherwise we'll kill you.' 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 soldier who refused to fight in the war in Ukraine was allegedly beaten and locked up by his own comrades, according to a report. 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. 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. 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. It doesn't make sense. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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 . Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. 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. The announcement triggered an exodus of men from Russia, with many fleeing to neighbouring countries including Armenia, Georgia and Kazakhstan. So, they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. A Warner Bros. Theyre making everything so easy for you, guys. Albert Sakhibgareev was sent near the Ukrainian border in early February for "training exercises," the . Read also: UK intelligence estimates Russian losses near Vuhledar. Russia blaming Ukraine for killing of daughter of Putin ally. "The wall of misunderstanding between us has gone. The BBC has been speaking to one such soldier. A month later - 24 February, the day Russia launched its invasion - he was told to cross the border. "But refusing to fight was a difficult decision for him to take. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. Emilio Morenatti. I told him: 'Better to take it. Reports of Russian soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine are also mounting. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). Timofei Rozhanskiy is a correspondent in Kyiv for Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. Soldiers with the 127th Regiment of the 1st Army Corps rioted, according to the operational command. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . The arrests of the soldiers, whose . 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 bosses response was: We dont care about your problems, go ahead and quit. He believes his commanders had planned to capture strongholds and key cities very quickly - and had calculated that the Ukrainians would simply surrender. Troops had been withdrawn from northern Ukraine and appeared to be regrouping for an assault in the east. The attack is doubly unjust. I told him that he was a zombie. "There are held in pits, tortured and things like that. Just refuse," Sergei recalls telling Stas, who was already an army officer. The soldier's testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. 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 . DeSantis won't say he's running. 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. 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. 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. By early July, Kaminsky said, he'd had enough: He refused to fight, one of 78 soldiers from his brigade who have refused orders. 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. I have served for five years in the army. I thought a long time about it and came to the decision. 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. VLADIMIR Putin's demoralised and disillusioned troops are fleeing the war in Ukraine and surrendering without a fight, reports claim. ", Stas was a serving officer when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. 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. Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. 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. He simply declares that he has anti-war convictions. What is being given to Ukraine by the UK? 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. Journalists fight on their own frontline. "So off he went to Ukraine. The code has been copied to your clipboard. But from our own side.". The soldier, identified by the alias Vladimir, testified he was held in the town of Bryansk with about 80 soldiers guarded by the shadowy organization Wagner Group. If a soldier acts according to such procedures, then he cannot be criminally prosecuted for this. 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. 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. Youre just a soldier for them; youre nobody.. But, after a few months, he made the decision to sign a two-year professional contract which would also give him a salary. Discovery Company. The commanders know only violence and intimidation. 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 . But the soldier later discussed with his father what would happen if he refused to fight. 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. 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. 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. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. "The commanders' aim is to keep the soldiers down there. Not from the opposing side. 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 . 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. The private then pushed the officer in the chest. He revealed to his father what had happened to him in detention: how a "different group" of Russian soldiers had tried to force him to fight. After that, I wont look at any new offers.. They would be looking at time in prison.. As Russia has faced a surprisingly effective resistance from Ukraine, there have been reports of low soldier morale and chaos among the commanding ranks. 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. Born in Russia, he graduated from St. Petersburg State University and also received film and video production training at Bard College in New York. "We were like blind kittens. Sergei has invited us to his home to tell us their story. He said the "Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights" being witnessed in the world today. We were illegally jailed.. 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. An investigation by the BBCs Russian service showed that Russias defence ministry filled employment websites with vacancies, offering people with no combat experience opportunities to join the army on lucrative short-term contracts. He gets it now. About 140 Russian soldiers have reportedly been jailed so far. "Later I was told that the building they were in had been shelled and that all five men were missing. Brigade commanders ask who wants to guard the second gunners unit. 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. "As an officer he understood that if they went ahead, they wouldn't get out alive. 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. 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. 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. "It was blown up from a grenade launcher or something else. "We rushed forward with short overnight stays, without trenches, without reconnaissance. We had no food, no water, he said. This is not our war. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, Quote from the General Staff: "Troops from the so-called volunteer Cossack Detachment, attached to the 155th Marine Brigade of the Russian Pacific Fleet, are refusing to continue to take part in offensive operations due to the failure of the offensive and significant personnel losses near Vuhledar.". Missing In Action: A Russian Soldier's Mother Desperately Seeks Answers, Vox Pop: Muscovites On How Russia's Isolation Affects Daily Life. The range of experience varies. The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". "He said it was my choice. The servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. appreciated. Andrei, a Russian lieutenant, stopped fighting. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. 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. Their official status is missing in action. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories . In his unit of 50 people, 10 were killed and 10 others wounded. Long period mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner.... Are refusing to fight in Ukraine russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine n't want to Monday, Sept. 12,.! 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