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. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war 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. Kononov said he stopped showing up at his unit and, instead, spent time with his friend at his home. On 15 February, Ukraines Defence Intelligence reported that Russias losses were the largest since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. 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 . 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. Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food. This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. 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. 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. "Inclined toward treason, lies . Nearly all . 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. Later that month he received an order to return to Ukraine - but told his commander that he was not prepared to go. Some soldiers, under the threat of violence, were simply driven out to unknown destinations, they have not been seen since, said Vladimir, according to the Guardian. They'd been ordered to advance, but no one knew what lay ahead. 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. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . Human rights activist Sergei Krivenko says he is not aware of any prosecutions of those refusing to return to the front. He and several others who'd decided to refuse had their guns taken off them and were put under armed guard.". For that they sent my son to a detention centre. Separately, a military tribunal said it sentenced Kandarov to five years behind bars for evading military service during mobilisation for more than a month. 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. 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. Russian authorities quietly stepped up their efforts to recruit new soldiers as it became clear that a quick victory in Ukraine was unattainable. At the beginning of April, Sergey was sent back over the border to a camp on the Russian side. That's what people who have come from there say.". All his bravado has gone. 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. A month later - 24 February, the day Russia launched its invasion - he was told to cross the border. They ignore any requests. Some large government-run companies have received letters urging them to sign up their staff for the army. A Russian court has sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials said Thursday. What is being given to Ukraine by the UK? Im warning you, this is a final offer, he is heard telling the soldiers. "The commanders' aim is to keep the soldiers down there. Some Russian soldiers and even whole units are "refusing to fight" in Ukraine, top UK security officials reported today. July 20, 2022 16:08 GMT. In a rare public spat involving the Kremlin, 25 National Guard 'refuseniks' defied their . ", "My first thoughts were 'Is this really happening to me?'". For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. We were illegally jailed.. 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. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. "So many people don't . The soldiers testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. "So off he went to Ukraine. If we had moved gradually, if we had checked the roads for mines many losses could have been avoided.". Read also: UK intelligence estimates Russian losses near Vuhledar. The Russian authorities dismiss reports of disillusioned soldiers and detention centres as fake news. Second, the conduct of the war by Russian forces violates the most . "We're on the same wavelength now," Sergei tells me. He believes his commanders had planned to capture strongholds and key cities very quickly - and had calculated that the Ukrainians would simply surrender. 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. 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 . News/Politics 2022-12-22T11:35:49.577Z. But there's a more common explanation. But after a certain adaptation period, our men fight brilliantly.". Russian forces have significantly reduced activity in the Vuhledar area due to the mass refusal of their troops to go on the offensive, spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Tavriiskyi District forces, Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi, said on Feb. 27. . This is not our war. Many Russian soldiers would rather be dismissed or transferred than fight in Ukraine. He managed to contact his mother, Oxana, back in Russia to tell her what was going on. 'You're Nobody' The Insider. 2023 Cable News Network. By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. Theyre making everything so easy for you, guys. It's not a war of liberation.' 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. Sergei and Stas are not the real names of this father and son. 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. The arrests of the soldiers, whose . 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. The bosses response was: We dont care about your problems, go ahead and quit. There is absolutely no trust in the authorities and the higher command, from the very first word, Kaminsky, 20, told Current Time in a phone interview on July 17, recorded from an undisclosed location in the Luhansk region of eastern 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. Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. He simply declares that he has anti-war convictions. 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. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that.". Putin's army continues its full-scale aggression in Ukraine. Homesick. Russian resistance is growing against Putin's war. The men, who belonged to the key headquarters of the Pskov . ", "We do not have any problems with soldiers leaving combat positions," the Kremlin leader continued. Moscow initially put about 80% of its main ground combat forces 150,000 men into the war in February, according to western officials. He believed it was right. His unit moved on through the Ukrainian countryside, but there was a clear lack of strategy, he says. I didn't look back.". Their identities have been protected by the BBC. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. 'I'd rather go to jail than fight in Ukraine', Surgeons operate on baby in Kyiv blackout, Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, India anti-corruption crusader fighting to clear his name, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. ", 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. 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. AP. 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. Soldiers with the 127th Regiment of the 1st Army Corps rioted, according to the operational command. Stas told his father about one particular battle. 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. Under Russian military rules, troops who refuse to fight in Ukraine can face dismissal but cannot be prosecuted, said Mikhail Benyash, a lawyer who has been advising soldiers who choose that option. The soldier's testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. Russia launched the attack on Ukraine from three sides on February 24. We were fed once a day at lunchtime. Three days of duty? We've changed them to protect their identities. 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. A stamp that was purportedly placed in the military-service booklet of one soldier who refused to serve in Ukraine. 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