Instead they were expected to operate without even basic equipment, such as night vision devices, he says. 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. Their identities have been protected by the BBC. 'I'm Warning You, This Is A Final Offer' They were furious. 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. 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. They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. He refused so they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. Stas was sent back to Russia. It said that the troops lacked support, while personnel in advanced positions didn't have water. Servicemen fire a 120mm mortar towards Russian positions at the frontline near Bakhmut, Ukraine. It's not a war of liberation.' 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. I have nothing to be ashamed of. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) A U.S. Army veteran from Wisconsin died on Feb. 16 while fighting on the . He said the "Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights" being witnessed in the world today. Nearly five months into the largest war in Europe since World War II, a growing number of Russian soldiers like Kaminsky are refusing to fight, demanding to return home, or outright not going to Ukraine in the first place. 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 soldier, "not wanting to take part in a . The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a special . About 60 Russian paratroopers mutinied and refused to fight in Ukraine, according to Russian press reports related to Putin's government. "Inclined toward treason, lies . I told him: 'Better to take it. Produced by Will Vernon. 2023 BBC. Earlier Ukraines General Staff reported that invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. It's not just Ukrainians resisting Vladimir . A Russian court sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials have said. Russian paratroopers. ", "We do not have any problems with soldiers leaving combat positions," the Kremlin leader continued. Im supposed to be ready for any situation; this war, this special operation, one soldier wrote. Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency. 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. About 140 Russian soldiers have reportedly been jailed so far. 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. Sergey says he is traumatised by his experience in Ukraine. It wouldn't cost much to equip us. Ukraine's Operational Command South reported in a . The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". This story has been shared 102,045 times. Many of the units that are supposed to train conscripts are fighting themselves, Lee said. "You've got relatives there. Kononov said he stopped showing up at his unit and, instead, spent time with his friend at his home. "It's a way of making people go back into that bloodbath," says Elena Popova from Russia's Movement of Conscientious Objectors. Just refuse," Sergei recalls telling Stas, who was already an army officer. 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. Daughter of Putin ally dies when . But they eventually calmed down because there wasnt much they could do, he said. Refusal then would mean much harsher penalties. 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.". Andrei, a Russian lieutenant, stopped fighting. According to the head of his military commandant's office, Kononov was found at his place of residence with a friend after a search. 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. We were fed once a day at lunchtime. Sergey is just one of hundreds of Russian soldiers understood to have been seeking such advice. At the beginning of April, Sergey was sent back over the border to a camp on the Russian side. Journalists fight on their own frontline. "The wall of misunderstanding between us has gone. The airline carrier Wizz Air has announced it will . Ukrainian . Boris Johnson's cabinet received an update from a senior national security official on Tuesday morning. 'You're Nobody' 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. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). 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 . I told him: 'Better to take it. Reports from Russia said authorities would call up 300,000 people with "relevant" skills or military experience. They'd been ordered to advance, but no one knew what lay ahead. 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Russia has faced a surprisingly effective resistance from Ukraine, there have been reports of low soldier morale and chaos among the commanding ranks. Unit commanders then staged an intervention. Because they ignore everything. 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. 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 . But by September that had all changed. Russias troops in Ukraine are largely made up of contract soldiers: volunteer personnel who sign fixed-term contracts for service. 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. . We didn't leave anyone in the rear, so if someone decided to come in from behind and hit us there was no protection. 17 Russian soldiers were reportedly detained, Russian military unit deployed in the south would not figh, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 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. Then I started getting messages from him asking what would happen if he refused to fight.". By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories . ", 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. In his conversations with Current Time, Kaminsky lamented what he described as commanders callous disregard for the wellbeing of their troops. 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. Russia blaming Ukraine for killing of daughter of Putin ally, Daughter of Putin ally dies when car explodes, Russian media says, 'Russia is not Putin': 76-year-old Russian uses her art to speak out, Russian priest says he's helped 'thousands' of Ukrainian refugees get to Europe, Putin unveils imperialist mission: taking back land he says is Russia's, See rebranded McDonald's restaurants unveiled in Russia, CNN reporter was at Russia's Victory Day parade. 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". 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The BBC has been speaking to one such soldier. Many soldiers, therefore, have chosen to be fired or transferred rather than going into the meat grinder, he said. When the soldiers of an elite Russian army brigade were told in early April to prepare for a second deployment to Ukraine, fear broke out among the ranks. "I'm morally exhausted. Rumours abound of some Russian soldiers defying orders and refusing to cross into Ukraine to fight. But the soldier later discussed with his father what would happen if he refused to fight. Newsweek was unable to independently verify those claims but reached out to Russia's foreign ministry for comment. Putin's army continues its full-scale aggression in Ukraine. 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. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! "Then they took him into a room and told him: 'You're coming with us, otherwise we'll kill you.' The whole time, not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest. 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 . There was no basic hygiene, the soldier said in the testimony, according to the Guardian. "I think that [so many of] our guys died largely because of this. As Russia's forces run out of food and fuel, some h "But he said he was going. Without a formal . 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. "He told me he had refused to lead his men to a certain death," Oxana tells me. Some troops are refusing orders, walking away from military bases or crossing the border into Ukraine and switching sides, media reports show. A group of desperate Russian soldiers have issued an open letter by way of video to despotic President Vladimir Putin. They would be looking at time in prison.. Source: cnnespanol All news articles on 2023-02-28 You may like. 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. 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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. We've changed them to protect their identities. 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. I dont regret it one bit. I signed a contract. Early in the war, Kaminsky said, commanders ordered the brigade to defend a line opposite Ukrainian forces that stretched up to 64 kilometers in length (40 miles) about four times what the brigades troop strength could reasonably protect. If we had moved gradually, if we had checked the roads for mines many losses could have been avoided.". In October, a new general was appointed to lead Russia's offensive. "This is all nonsense and fake claims and there is nothing to back them up with. My daughter was born three months ago. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has supported its eastern neighbour in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.Before the start of the offensive, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory; however, the Russian troops did not exit the country after they were supposed to finish. 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. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. As of July 20, the fate of the detained soldiers was unknown. 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. Theyre making everything so easy for you, guys. The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Mr Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 23. The Insider. Sergei has invited us to his home to tell us their story. There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. "I had thought that we were the Russian army, the most super-duper in the world," says the young man bitterly. All Rights Reserved. They said no remains had been found. Anybody want it? the commander, a lieutenant colonel identified only by his surname Agafonov, can be heard telling the soldiers. We arent officially in a state of war, so they could not force me to go.. 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. 2023 BBC. "I can see that the war continues, it is not going away," he told the BBC. Russian soldier Ilya Kaminsky says rank-and-file troops have "absolutely no trust . DeSantis won't say he's running. 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. 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 . 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. 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. He had helped oversee fighting in eastern Ukraine. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! - Ukraine's President . CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that.". "We went without helicopters - just in a column, as though we were heading to a parade.". 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. Would prove that. `` operation, one soldier wrote the soldier, & quot not... 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