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 . 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. Im tired. If no ones willing to take the offers from the brigade commanders, I wont detain you. Kaminsky said discontent had been building in the unit for weeks, if not months. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 03:25. 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. 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. 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. 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. Reinforcements failed to arrive and soldiers were poorly equipped for the task of taking a large city. Instead, men in uniform arrived and offered them amnesty if they agreed to fight alongside the Russian army in . He's changed completely. All his bravado has gone. Nearly all . Russia struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine. A group of desperate Russian soldiers have issued an open letter by way of video to despotic President Vladimir Putin. 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. He and several others who'd decided to refuse had their guns taken off them and were put under armed guard.". Three days of duty? Russian state media aired footage of blitzed buildings and abandoned streets in Bakhmut , the eastern city where Ukrainian forces have been . The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. 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. 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. Anybody want it? the commander, a lieutenant colonel identified only by his surname Agafonov, can be heard telling the soldiers. "I don't want to go [back to Ukraine] to kill and be killed," says Sergey - not his real name - who spent five weeks fighting in Ukraine earlier this year. My daughter was born three months ago. 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. Homesick. Ukrainian soldiers move on the road in the freed territory in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russia's . It said that the troops lacked support, while personnel in advanced positions didn't have water. It doesn't make sense. The human rights activist said Kononov may be sent to serve in Ukraine again, explaining that the punishment means it will be even more difficult for him to achieve early dismissal. 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. A Russian court sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials have said. "So off he went to Ukraine. VLADIMIR Putin's demoralised and disillusioned troops are fleeing the war in Ukraine and surrendering without a fight, reports claim. A month later - 24 February, the day Russia launched its invasion - he was told to cross the border. "Those refusing to fight are doing so because they've had more than their fair share of front line action," explains Elena Popova. Theyre making everything so easy for you, guys. But I was thinking, Im still young; at any moment, a piece of shrapnel, a bullet could fly into my head. 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 . 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. On 15 February, Ukraines Defence Intelligence reported that Russias losses were the largest since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food. There was no basic hygiene, the soldier said in the testimony, according to the Guardian. 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. Many soldiers, therefore, have chosen to be fired or transferred rather than going into the meat grinder, he said. 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 . The servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment. I want to return to my family and not in a casket.. A video showing two Russian soldiers being arrested after they refused to follow orders to fight in Ukraine has circulated on social media platform Telegram. Their identities have been protected by the BBC. 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. 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. Russian soldiers are increasingly dying from accidental friendly fire . But from our own side.". 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. Did you encounter any technical issues? He believed it was right. Source: cnnespanol All news articles on 2023-02-28 You may like. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). Deployed to Ukraine in July, Andrei was placed in detention for refusing to carry out orders. 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.". 2. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine. But by September that had all changed. Moscow's war is unjust, but there's no moral obligation for soldiers to refuse to fight. But, he had been sufficiently worried about his unit's reaction to his refusal that he decided to seek legal advice. But even before that, there are many reports from our intelligence officers, who work quite successfully, about what is going at the enemy both in the rear and on the front line there are very frequent refusals to participate in hostilities., Read also: Russians pushing for breakthrough near Vuhledar, but unlikely to succeed, says UK intelligence. 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. 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. Russia launched the attack on Ukraine from three sides on February 24. My contract ends in June. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He refused. In October, a new general was appointed to lead Russia's offensive. 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. ", Stas was a serving officer when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. About 140 Russian soldiers have reportedly been jailed so far. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. The Insider. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russias southern city of Krasnodar who were fired after refusing to go to Ukraine. Perhaps this is due to the weather conditions, which doesnt allow them to actively use military equipment now, the spokesperson said. The soldier said he broke his contract and resigned from the brigade before the February 24 invasion, once he realized it was in fact going forward. Youre just a soldier for them; youre nobody.. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Command post guard duty? Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. '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. ", "People here don't understand how much danger we're in. 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.". The range of experience varies. "We rushed forward with short overnight stays, without trenches, without reconnaissance. The young Russian was among those men who enlisted. Conscripts could fill some of the gaps, but they will be poorly trained. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a . 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. I still havent seen her. It caught fire and there were [Russian] soldiers inside. Russian military regulations provide some legal justification and procedures for soldiers who disobey orders, according to Sergei Krivenko, a rights activist -- particularly for those who state they are anti-war, or pacifists. 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. 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. Brigade has suffered "extremely high casualties" while fighting in Ukraine. Sergey says he is traumatised by his experience in Ukraine. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . If no ones willing to take the offers from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group carry out.... News articles on 2023-02-28 you may like were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world building the... City where Ukrainian forces have been blitzed buildings and abandoned streets in,! Commander, a lieutenant colonel identified only by his surname Agafonov, can be heard telling the.! 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