News/Politics 2022-12-22T11:35:49.577Z. A Russian court sentenced a 24-year-old professional soldier to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Ukraine, officials have said. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. 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. Along with eight others, Dmitri told his commanders that he refused to rejoin the invasion. My contract ends in June. 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. This is not our war. The enemy has somewhat reduced its activity for the fourth day, he said. We didn't leave anyone in the rear, so if someone decided to come in from behind and hit us there was no protection. 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. 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. "He told me he had refused to lead his men to a certain death," Oxana tells me. 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 . 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. 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. Just refuse," Sergei recalls telling Stas, who was already an army officer. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. There are no legal grounds to start a criminal case if a soldier refuses to fight while on Russian territory.. Read about our approach to external linking. The official warned that the next phase of the war was likely to be an "attritional conflict" which could last . There was no basic hygiene, the soldier said in the testimony, according to the Guardian. The private then pushed the officer in the chest. Boris Johnson's cabinet received an update from a senior national security official on Tuesday morning. Frank Gardner looks at what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine. Youre just a soldier for them; youre nobody.. 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. I told him that he was a zombie. Source: Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza; united press office of the courts of the Republic of Bashkortostan on Telegram Details: According to court materials, Corporal Marcel Kandarov has been charged with evading military service for more than one month . Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a . 03:25. Almost immediately his unit found itself under attack. Sergey says he is traumatised by his experience in Ukraine. This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. The latest as of 7.15 a.m. The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. 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. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. I thought a long time about it and came to the decision. We drove around it and on, firing as we went. If a soldier acts according to such procedures, then he cannot be criminally prosecuted for this. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . 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 . The troops are getting exhausted they wont be able to keep this up for a long period.. The range of experience varies. They forgot their military oaths, the ceremonial promise, their vows of duty to their Fatherland, the board reads. Russian paratroopers. Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. Their official status is missing in action. They were continually shelled, he says, both when moving and when parked overnight. ", "People here don't understand how much danger we're in. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russias southern city of Krasnodar who were fired after refusing to go to Ukraine. "I had thought that we were the Russian army, the most super-duper in the world," says the young man bitterly. 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. 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 . He refused so they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. "I think that [so many of] our guys died largely because of this. By Timofei Rozhanskiy. We arent officially in a state of war, so they could not force me to go.. In another incident where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to fight in Ukraine, the country's Operational Command South said Sunday in a Facebook post that a Russian military unit deployed in the south would not fight because of a lack of vital supplies such as water. Images by Anton Chicherov. 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. 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. Sergei made several trips to the front line to try to secure his son's release. A Russian serviceman takes part in military exercises outside the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the Russian Far East on September 4. 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. Soldiers are refusing to fire artillery on civilians until they clear the area. That's what people who have come from there say.". "So many people don't . 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. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a special . Deployed to Ukraine in July, Andrei was placed in detention for refusing to carry out orders. Quote from the General Staff: "Troops from the so-called . Produced by Will Vernon. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflict in Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some of his soldiers refuse to fight. Argument | Michael Walzer. 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. But there's a more common explanation. 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 . 2023 BBC. The Insider. In his unit of 50 people, 10 were killed and 10 others wounded. Jan 27, 2023. But you cannot force people to fight.". Army commanders try to intimidate contract soldiers into staying with their units, according to Russian human rights lawyer Alexei Tabalov. According to the head of his military commandant's office, Kononov was found at his place of residence with a friend after a search. 'I Had To Refuse So I Could Stay Alive' (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) A U.S. Army veteran from Wisconsin died on Feb. 16 while fighting on the . But, after a few months, he made the decision to sign a two-year professional contract which would also give him a salary. July 20, 2022 16:08 GMT. Sergei (not his real name) says his son was beaten with a pistol for refusing to go back to the frontlines, There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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. A Russian soldier was sentenced in July for refusing to fight in the Ukraine war. Im supposed to be ready for any situation; this war, this special operation, one soldier wrote. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflictin Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some ofhis soldiers refuse to fight. Emilio Morenatti. When his son was sent to fight in Ukraine, Sergei begged him not to go. "It was a difficult decision for him to take. 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. 02:32. Brigade commanders ask who wants to guard the second gunners unit. I told him: 'Better to take it. A Russian court sentenced Marsel Kandarov to five years in prison for refusing to take part in the special military operation. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russia's . ", Stas was a serving officer when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. Russian soldiers are increasingly dying from accidental friendly fire . Russian . Kononov said he stopped showing up at his unit and, instead, spent time with his friend at his home. I still havent seen her. They just don't care. At the beginning of April, Sergey was sent back over the border to a camp on the Russian side. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. "But he said he was going. 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. 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. The soldiers testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . Alexander Avilov / Moskva News Agency. Read also: UK intelligence estimates Russian losses near Vuhledar. "This is all nonsense and fake claims and there is nothing to back them up with. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. Ukrainian media claims a "riot" broke out on the warships, based in nearby Crimea.. At the same time, a number of Russian helicopters and drones were flying over Luzanivka beach, preparing for landing.. In . On 15 February, Ukraines Defence Intelligence reported that Russias losses were the largest since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. "Inclined toward treason, lies . 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. This is not our war. 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 . All Rights Reserved. Our commanders didnt even argue with us because we were not the first ones to leave, Bokov said. A junior sergeant said he was injured during one of the recent Ukrainian attacks on the Russian border territory where he was stationed. "The commanders' aim is to keep the soldiers down there. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflict in Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin boasts of success, though some of his soldiers refuse to fight. 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. July 19, 2022. 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. Ilya Kononov, a contract soldier from the city of Pskov in western Russia, was charged with "unauthorized abandonment of the unit" in July, court records show. Separately, a military tribunal in Moscow sentenced a soldier to five years and six months in a penal colony for beating an officer during an argument, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday. 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. 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. Human rights activist Sergei Krivenko says he is not aware of any prosecutions of those refusing to return to the front. The soldier is in the unit, hes not running away anywhere. For some Russians, refusing to return to the front line may be a moral stand. 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. 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 . 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 . 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. AP. But, he had been sufficiently worried about his unit's reaction to his refusal that he decided to seek legal advice. Born in Russia, he graduated from St. Petersburg State University and also received film and video production training at Bard College in New York. 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.". If we had moved gradually, if we had checked the roads for mines many losses could have been avoided.". Ukrainian . Then I got a text message saying he and four other officers had been put in a basement. 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. A stamp that was purportedly placed in the military-service booklet of one soldier who refused to serve in Ukraine. He gets it now. 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. He managed to contact his mother, Oxana, back in Russia to tell her what was going on. Because there are no criminal articles for requesting the termination of a contract based on anti-war beliefs, Krivenko told Current Time. 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. I told him: 'Better to take it. Andrei, a Russian lieutenant, stopped fighting. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". 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. 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"They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . 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. "Those refusing to fight are doing so because they've had more than their fair share of front line action," explains Elena Popova. I understood that I had to refuse so I could stay alive, he said. It's not a war of liberation'," the man told the BBC. We were illegally jailed.. In January, Sergey was sent near the border with Ukraine for what he was told would be military drills. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook. A Warner Bros. 'I'm Warning You, This Is A Final Offer' Sergey joined the army as a conscript - most Russian men between the ages of 18-27 must complete one year of compulsory military service. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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. Russian state media aired footage of blitzed buildings and abandoned streets in Bakhmut , the eastern city where Ukrainian forces have been . Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. They don't care about the life of a soldier; whats more important is his position and rank, Kaminsky said. He bombarded military officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help. Soldiers like Sergey - reluctant to return to the front line - are not unusual, according to Ruslan Leviev, the editor of Conflict Intelligence Team, a media project investigating the experiences of the Russian military in Ukraine through confidential interviews and open source material. The bosses response was: We dont care about your problems, go ahead and quit. 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. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. 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