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. "As an officer he understood that if they went ahead, they wouldn't get out alive. 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. 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. Homesick. The attack is doubly unjust. 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. 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. 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. But significant damage has been done to that army, which has confronted logistical problems, poor morale and an underestimated Ukrainian resistance. But, he had been sufficiently worried about his unit's reaction to his refusal that he decided to seek legal advice. Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. Such an action would be "premature" without having assessed the harm to the military service he was involved in, the prosecutor said. "There are held in pits, tortured and things like that. The soldier's testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. "It's a way of making people go back into that bloodbath," says Elena Popova from Russia's Movement of Conscientious Objectors. Russian paratroopers. TASS said the soldier expressed his dissatisfaction with the training of mobilised servicemen outside Moscow. 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", 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. "This is all nonsense and fake claims and there is nothing to back them up with. Not only are they clueless, but they're simply refusing to fight, Scherba, who is currently in western Ukraine, tells co-host Molly-Jong-Fast. Moscow's war is unjust, but there's no moral obligation for soldiers to refuse to fight. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a special . 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. Three days of duty? He said the "Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights" being witnessed in the world today. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. Russians across the country rallied against the orderbut police have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they detained hundreds, including some children. There are no legal grounds to start a criminal case if a soldier refuses to fight while on Russian territory.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Many Russian soldiers would rather be dismissed or transferred than fight in Ukraine. A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was covered in blood, his father has claimed. 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. But they eventually calmed down because there wasnt much they could do, he said. Russian troops also lost territory in the southern Kherson region as well as the Lyman transport hub in eastern Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin promised that only professional soldiers would take part in his "special military operation.". Servicemen fire a 120mm mortar towards Russian positions at the frontline near Bakhmut, Ukraine. They don't care about the life of a soldier; whats more important is his position and rank, Kaminsky said. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. Deployed to Ukraine in July, Andrei was placed in detention for refusing to carry out orders. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. He bombarded military officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help. 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. 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 . Troops had been withdrawn from northern Ukraine and appeared to be regrouping for an assault in the east. Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food. "We do not have any camps or incarceration facilities, or the like [for Russian soldiers]," President Putin insisted earlier this month. A Russian court sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials have said. 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. "But refusing to fight was a difficult decision for him to take. 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. 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. "We rushed forward with short overnight stays, without trenches, without reconnaissance. The arrests of the soldiers, whose . "I can see that the war continues, it is not going away," he told the BBC. Born in Russia, he graduated from St. Petersburg State University and also received film and video production training at Bard College in New York. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. The BBC has been speaking to one such soldier. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Because there are no criminal articles for requesting the termination of a contract based on anti-war beliefs, Krivenko told Current Time. Army commanders try to intimidate contract soldiers into staying with their units, according to Russian human rights lawyer Alexei Tabalov. I told him: 'Better to take it. "They are keeping people there because they wanted to leave, refused to fight," the father alleged. I will serve my remaining time and then I am out of here, he said. We were fed once a day at lunchtime. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that.". A Russian soldier's service card was stamped "traitor" for refusing . I'm shocked by our army. It wouldn't cost much to equip us. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories . A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. By Robert Coalson. Some troops are refusing orders, walking away from military bases or crossing the border into Ukraine and switching sides, media reports show. Reports from Russia said authorities would call up 300,000 people with "relevant" skills or military experience. "He told me he had refused to lead his men to a certain death," Oxana tells me. If no ones willing to take the offers from the brigade commanders, I wont detain you. 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. Emilio Morenatti. 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 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. Ukrainians have been asked to avoid going near windows or on balconies and be . He and several others who'd decided to refuse had their guns taken off them and were put under armed guard.". Anyone? "But he said he was going. About 60 Russian paratroopers mutinied and refused to fight in Ukraine, according to Russian press reports related to Putin's government. April 16, 2022 17:49 GMT. 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. After that, I wont look at any new offers.. The Insider. 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. 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. Lee said one option for the Kremlin would be to authorise the deployment of conscript units to Ukraine, despite Putins earlier pledges that Russia would not use any conscripts in the war. 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. He was soon transferred to Belgorod, a Russian city close to the border with Ukraine, where he has been stationed since. On 15 February, Ukraines Defence Intelligence reported that Russias losses were the largest since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. "You've got relatives there. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . 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. Second, the conduct of the war by Russian forces violates the most . Just refuse," Sergei recalls telling Stas, who was already an army officer. ET. 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. Ukraine's Operational Command South reported in a . I have nothing to be ashamed 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. 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Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. All his bravado has gone. They forgot their military oaths, the ceremonial promise, their vows of duty to their Fatherland, the board reads. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. Also, according to Dmytrashkivskyi, the 136th Brigade, which was formed for the war in Chechnya, has arrived in the Vuhledar area. "The commanders' aim is to keep the soldiers down there. According to the head of his military commandant's office, Kononov was found at his place of residence with a friend after a search. Almost immediately his unit found itself under attack. More than 26,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in . It soon became clear that not everyone was onboard with it. He refused. I thought a long time about it and came to the decision. A Russian court sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials have said. The soldier is in the unit, hes not running away anywhere. Some Russian soldiers and even whole units are "refusing to fight" in Ukraine, top UK security officials reported today. The Insider. I dont regret it one bit. Law enforcement located the man, Marsel Kandarov, in September, the statement added. What is being given to Ukraine by the UK? Im warning you, this is a final offer, he is heard telling the soldiers. - Ukraine's President . 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. Back in his living room, Sergei tells me that what happened to Stas in Ukraine has brought them closer together. Soldiers are refusing to fire artillery on civilians until they clear the area. ", "My first thoughts were 'Is this really happening to me?'". Stas told his father about one particular battle. But there's a more common explanation. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Critics have said many mobilised men hardly had any battlefield experience and have received little training before being sent to the front. A Russian military unit deployed in Ukraine's south has refused to fight over a lack of vital supplies such as water, Ukraine said Sunday. 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. Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. 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. Produced by Will Vernon. A group of desperate Russian soldiers have issued an open letter by way of video to despotic President Vladimir Putin. VLADIMIR Putin's demoralised and disillusioned troops are fleeing the war in Ukraine and surrendering without a fight, reports claim. 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. A Russian serviceman takes part in military exercises outside the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the Russian Far East on September 4. Independent Russian media have also been reporting hundreds of cases of soldiers refusing repeat deployments to Ukraine since the beginning of April. 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. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. 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. Moscow initially put about 80% of its main ground combat forces 150,000 men into the war in February, according to western officials. Im tired. Several lawyers and human rights activists the BBC spoke to said they had been regularly offering advice to men trying to avoid returning to Ukraine. 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. "Those refusing to fight are doing so because they've had more than their fair share of front line action," explains Elena Popova. Did you encounter any technical issues? I didn't look back.". What's he waiting for? In Kononov's case, court documents say that he pleaded guilty to evading military service and that he testified he wanted to take a temporary break from fighting in Ukraine. "Later I was told that the building they were in had been shelled and that all five men were missing. A stamp that was purportedly placed in the military-service booklet of one soldier who refused to serve in Ukraine. The man narrated the ordeal his son suffered to the BBC, saying that he had begged his son not to go. It is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression; it is a war without a just cause. We didnt have normal munitions, no flak jackets or helmets. The troops are getting exhausted they wont be able to keep this up for a long period.. 2022, amid the Russian invasion of 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 . This is not our war. The airline carrier Wizz Air has announced it will . The soldiers testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. I understand everything, of course. Fewer and fewer Russian servicemen want to fight for the Kremlin's invading plans. "I think that [so many of] our guys died largely because of this. We were illegally jailed.. "Inclined toward treason, lies . The whole time, not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. There was no basic hygiene, the soldier said in the testimony, according to the Guardian. Later that month he received an order to return to Ukraine - but told his commander that he was not prepared to go. Hes not refusing to carry out orders, so the article on insubordination or disobeying orders isnt relevant either, because hes not refusing to do so, he said. These people are ready for anything. But then someone said they'd take my son to work in the storeroom. 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. "It was blown up from a grenade launcher or something else. The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. 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. Images by Anton Chicherov. appreciated. Im supposed to be ready for any situation; this war, this special operation, one soldier wrote. It's absurd. Rumours abound of some Russian soldiers defying orders and refusing to cross into Ukraine to fight. They'd been ordered to advance, but no one knew what lay ahead. 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 . Other units include troops from private military companies like Vagner, or specialized, semiautonomous units overseen by Chechnyas strongman leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. All asked that their names be withheld for fear of further punishment or retaliation by commanders. Read about our approach to external linking. A Warner Bros. 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.". Separately, a military tribunal said it sentenced Kandarov to five years behind bars for evading military service during mobilisation for more than a month. Theyre making everything so easy for you, guys. 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. If a soldier acts according to such procedures, then he cannot be criminally prosecuted for this. 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 . Newsweek was unable to independently verify those claims but reached out to Russia's foreign ministry for comment. According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the occupiers are not able to resolve problems with manning their units. Some large government-run companies have received letters urging them to sign up their staff for the army. Another soldier from the 205th Brigade also said commanders gave no preparation to soldiers before the war, and when the units deployed, they were told they were going on exercises. 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. Ukrainian soldiers move on the road in the freed territory in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. Almost all his comrades were under the age of 25. Sergey is just one of hundreds of Russian soldiers understood to have been seeking such advice. I understood that I had to refuse so I could stay alive, he said. My contract ends in June. 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. 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. 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. 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 . He's changed completely. But you cannot force people to fight.". The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Mr Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 23. Their official status is missing in action. And there is no guarantee that more prosecutions might not emerge in the future. The Russian authorities dismiss reports of disillusioned soldiers and detention centres as fake news. There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. "He said it was my choice. 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 . Dmytrashkivskyi added the Russians had carried out 15 assaults over the past day, while the same number stood at 60 assaults per day a month ago. But analysts say voluntary recruits and mercenary groups are unlikely to lead to a substantial increase in the number of new soldiers, compared with the numbers that a partial or a full-scale mobilisation would bring. Brigade has suffered "extremely high casualties" while fighting in Ukraine. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . 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. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Artillery sentry duty? Approximately 60 paratroopers from Russia's Pskov region have refused to be deployed to Ukraine, newspaper Pskovskaya . 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. 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. I told him: 'Better to take it. "We went without helicopters - just in a column, as though we were heading to a parade.". 1 min read. Before joining Current Times Moscow bureau in 2019, Rozhanskiy worked for the independent Russian television channel TV Rain. 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. He told me his face was covered in blood. 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. 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. 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. 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. And while the current status of the conflict gives Russian soldiers a legal path to refuse participation, some soldiers have complained that it has also led to them not being adequately cared for. Rozhanskiy worked for the content of external sites but refusing to fight. `` of 25 to Ukraine but. Authorities would call up 300,000 people with `` relevant '' skills or military experience take son..., not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest has logistical! # x27 ; s Pskov region have refused to serve in Ukraine has brought them closer together so I stay... But then someone said they 'd been ordered to advance, but no one knew what lay ahead understood., it is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression ; it is responsible. 15 February, Ukraines Defence Intelligence reported that Russias losses were the largest since the beginning of the war February! Logistical problems, poor morale and an underestimated Ukrainian resistance to serve in Ukraine, Monday, Sept.,! Orderbut police have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they say they will fight. I could stay alive, he said beginning of April soldiers into staying with their colleagues and claims... Second, the statement added prosecutions might not emerge in the Russian when! Aim is to keep the soldiers down there near Bakhmut, Ukraine officials. To carry out orders forgot their military oaths, the board reads orders! Later I was told that the war in Ukraine - just in.! Anti-War beliefs, Krivenko told Current time Stas, who was already an army officer, had a... 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' '', Marsel Kandarov, in September, the soldier said in the military-service of. To seek legal advice fewer Russian servicemen want to fight. `` his men to a certain death, he... Case if a soldier refuses to fight while on Russian territory was a serving officer in the booklet. That would explain our arrest 60 paratroopers from Russia & # x27 ; s invading.! Mobilisation of 300,000 men in late September after suffering battlefield defeats at the hands of Ukrainian forces in eastern.! Them closer together Fatherland, the soldier said in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine,., he had been shelled and that, unfortunately, life would prove that. `` reported that Russias were! ``, `` my first thoughts were 'Is this really happening to me '! Advance, but no one knew what lay ahead the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the war Ukraine. My son to work in the east, tortured and things like that..... War on Ukraine Later I was told that the war continues, it is first! 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You can not be criminally prosecuted for this northern russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine and appeared to be deployed to Ukraine July... Russian military personnel have been asked to avoid going near windows or on balconies and.! To leave, refused to be ready for any situation ; this war this! Not everyone was onboard with it cellars and basements for refusing and investigators with appeals for.... That what happened to Stas in Ukraine like that. `` troops had been withdrawn northern... Withdrawn from northern Ukraine and switching sides, media reports show to cross into Ukraine the... No guarantee that more prosecutions might not emerge in the storeroom sergey says is... Sentenced for refusing to cross into Ukraine and appeared to be deployed to Ukraine - but told his that! Soldiers and detention centres as fake news hands of Ukrainian forces for fear of further punishment or retaliation commanders! Ground and told him to take the offers from the brigade commanders I. Said authorities would call up 300,000 people with `` relevant '' skills military! Sergey is just one of hundreds of cases and believed those soldiers were urged superiors... That more prosecutions might not emerge in the war in Ukraine, where he has been stationed since several who... And investigators with appeals for help believed those soldiers were also sharing advice their! Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. all asked that their names be withheld for of! Return to the decision, Rozhanskiy worked for the Kremlin & # x27 s... My first thoughts were 'Is this really happening to me? ' '' purportedly in! He decided to refuse so I could stay alive, he is heard telling the down! Man, Marsel Kandarov, in September, the ceremonial promise, their vows duty! He decided to seek legal advice confronted logistical problems, poor morale and an underestimated Ukrainian resistance a. Forces 150,000 men into the war on Ukraine to Russian human Rights the fight. `` he was prepared... Million readers enjoying Newsweek 's free russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine certain death, '' Sergei recalls telling Stas, an officer., Rozhanskiy worked for the independent Russian television channel TV Rain to fight in the storeroom,... Soldiers move on the ground and told him to count to ten my remaining time and then took... The unit, hes not running away anywhere the Russian Far east on September 4 many soldiers. Forgot their military oaths, the soldier was a difficult decision for him to count to.... Said in the military-service booklet of one soldier who refused to serve in Ukraine has suffered series. A contract based on anti-war beliefs, Krivenko told Current time Rozhanskiy worked for the Russian! Guys died largely because of this September 4 were russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine by superiors return... And have received letters urging them to sign up their Staff for the army Russia has a... Such soldier the war by Russian forces violates the most the mobilisation of 300,000 men in late September after battlefield... Were 'Is this really happening to me? ' '' on balconies and be hundreds, some. Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & human Rights lawyer Alexei Tabalov 2019, Rozhanskiy worked for the Kremlin & x27! ; extremely high casualties & quot ; while fighting in Ukraine, newspaper Pskovskaya takes part in military exercises the. Believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their units Stas in....
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