2023 Cable News Network. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. It said that the troops lacked support, while personnel in advanced positions didn't have water. In particular, conscripts are starting to cancel their contracts. The private then pushed the officer in the chest. He said the "Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights" being witnessed in the world today. 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. Refusal then would mean much harsher penalties. Without a formal . DeSantis won't say he's running. More than 100 Russian national guardsmen have been fired for refusing to fight in Ukraine, court documents show, in what looks to be the clearest indication yet of dissent among some parts of . Three days of duty? 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. 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. Many of the units that are supposed to train conscripts are fighting themselves, Lee said. Critics have said many mobilised men hardly had any battlefield experience and have received little training before being sent to the front. Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food. 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. Sergei has invited us to his home to tell us their story. "So many people don't . I'm shocked by our army. 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. Im warning you, this is a final offer, he is heard telling the soldiers. 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 . They just don't care. ", 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. 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. It doesn't make sense. 2d ago. ", "We do not have any problems with soldiers leaving combat positions," the Kremlin leader continued. But by September that had all changed. 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 . The BBC has been speaking to one such soldier. The soldier's testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. I have served for five years in the army. In a rare public spat involving the Kremlin, 25 National Guard 'refuseniks' defied their . 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. Frank Gardner looks at what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine. And there is no guarantee that more prosecutions might not emerge in the future. 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. Ukraine's leader pledged Friday to push for victory in 2023 as he and other Ukrainians marked the somber anniversary of the Russian invasion that upended their lives and Europe's security. Russian troops also lost territory in the southern Kherson region as well as the Lyman transport hub in eastern Ukraine. ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 27, 2023 / 13:45 pm (CNA). Then I started getting messages from him asking what would happen if he refused to fight.". 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. Sergey was told that returning to the unit was important because simply leaving could be interpreted as desertion, which can result in a two-year sentence in a disciplinary battalion. "It's a way of making people go back into that bloodbath," says Elena Popova from Russia's Movement of Conscientious Objectors. In July, the father of a Russian soldier told The Insider that troops were being detained or moved to a detention center in the occupied Luhansk region if they attempted to leave their posts. 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. Stas was sent back to Russia. But there's a more common explanation. I dont regret it one bit. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. He refused. Russian resistance is growing against Putin's war. This story has been shared 102,045 times. We were illegally jailed.. 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 . Earlier Ukraines General Staff reported that invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes. "There are held in pits, tortured and things like that. By Timofei Rozhanskiy. A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was . 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. 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. A senior US defense official said Russian volunteers are refusing to go into . - Ukraine's President . He had helped oversee fighting in eastern Ukraine. Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . A month later - 24 February, the day Russia launched its invasion - he was told to cross the border. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake. They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. About 140 Russian soldiers have reportedly been jailed so far. I thought a long time about it and came to the decision. Here's what he saw, CNN reporter returns to Russia for first time since January, Kremlin to showcase its military power in May 9th parade. Soldiers are refusing to fire artillery on civilians until they clear the area. Moscow's war is unjust, but there's no moral obligation for soldiers to refuse to fight. We didnt have normal munitions, no flak jackets or helmets. Nearly all . 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. 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 will serve my remaining time and then I am out of here, he said. The Russian defense ministry didnt respond to the Guardians request for comment. For some Russians, refusing to return to the front line may be a moral stand. 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. Second, the conduct of the war by Russian forces violates the most . Albert Sakhibgareev was sent near the Ukrainian border in early February for "training exercises," the . Also, according to Dmytrashkivskyi, the 136th Brigade, which was formed for the war in Chechnya, has arrived in the Vuhledar area. Russia launched the attack on Ukraine from three sides on February 24. During wartime, rules are totally different. He is now home in Russia, having taken legal advice to avoid being sent back to the front line. "Another reason is the foul way they're being treated. Ukrainians have been asked to avoid going near windows or on balconies and be . Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Instead they were expected to operate without even basic equipment, such as night vision devices, he says. It's not a war of liberation'," the man told the BBC. 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. "We were like blind kittens. Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. Russian state media aired footage of blitzed buildings and abandoned streets in Bakhmut , the eastern city where Ukrainian forces have been . 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. Independent Russian media have also been reporting hundreds of cases of soldiers refusing repeat deployments to Ukraine since the beginning of April. 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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. "We're on the same wavelength now," Sergei tells me. 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 . A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine. For that they sent my son to a detention centre. "They are keeping people there because they wanted to leave, refused to fight," the father alleged. 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. The soldier is in the unit, hes not running away anywhere. And that means he cant be prosecuted for desertion or going AWOL. In conversations with Current Time via the Russian social media giant VK, several soldiers from the brigade disputed the circumstances behind their inclusion on the wall of shame. 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 . Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. Heavy street fighting against Russian troops was underway in Kyiv as officials urged locals to take immediate shelter. It soon became clear that not everyone was onboard with it. The Institute for the Study of War said on 14 February that the deployment of conscripted servicemen by Russian troops is unlikely to create sufficient offensive potential for a large-scale and rapid mechanised offensive. 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. Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. 'You're Nobody' It's not just Ukrainians resisting Vladimir . The president announced what he called a "partial mobilisation", drafting hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens into the armed forces. Fewer and fewer Russian servicemen want to fight for the Kremlin's invading plans. Before joining Current Times Moscow bureau in 2019, Rozhanskiy worked for the independent Russian television channel TV Rain. At some point, Kaminsky's unit was then transferred to Luhansk, in Ukraines Donbas region. Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. '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. "The wall of misunderstanding between us has gone. The servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment. Reinforcements failed to arrive and soldiers were poorly equipped for the task of taking a large city. This is not our war. That is not to say that prosecutions are not being attempted. 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. 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. My contract ends in June. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. "Later I was told that the building they were in had been shelled and that all five men were missing. More than 26,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in . Anyone? "It was a difficult decision for him to take. Russians across the country rallied against the orderbut police have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they detained hundreds, including some children. A video of the incident that circulated online showed the soldier complaining of poor training, using obscenities, and calling the drills an imitation. The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. Russia announced the mobilisation of 300,000 men in late September after suffering battlefield defeats at the hands of Ukrainian forces. 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. They were continually shelled, he says, both when moving and when parked overnight. Servicemen fire a 120mm mortar towards Russian positions at the frontline near Bakhmut, Ukraine. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russias southern city of Krasnodar who were fired after refusing to go to Ukraine. This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. The bosses response was: We dont care about your problems, go ahead and quit. I understand everything, of course. ", Stas was a serving officer when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. 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. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. Sergey joined the army as a conscript - most Russian men between the ages of 18-27 must complete one year of compulsory military service. Emilio Morenatti. Putin's army continues its full-scale aggression in Ukraine. 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. Russia blaming Ukraine for killing of daughter of Putin ally. Reports from Russia said authorities would call up 300,000 people with "relevant" skills or military experience. 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. 2023 BBC. He managed to contact his mother, Oxana, back in Russia to tell her what was going on. Brigade commanders ask who wants to guard the second gunners unit. Command post guard duty? Ukraine's Operational Command South reported in a . Kaminsky said discontent had been building in the unit for weeks, if not months. We've changed them to protect their identities. 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. By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. He told me his face was covered in blood," the father said while speaking to the outlet. 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. My daughter was born three months ago. Some troops are refusing orders, walking away from military bases or crossing the border into Ukraine and switching sides, media reports show. 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. He simply declares that he has anti-war convictions. "Inclined toward treason, lies . 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. "We do not have any camps or incarceration facilities, or the like [for Russian soldiers]," President Putin insisted earlier this month. "I think that [so many of] our guys died largely because of this. Id rather bury you on the front line, on the line of defense, than give up my position, he said, describing the sentiments of his commanders. 'I Had To Refuse So I Could Stay Alive' We arent officially in a state of war, so they could not force me to go.. They were furious. But after a certain adaptation period, our men fight brilliantly.". He bombarded military officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help. There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflictin Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some ofhis soldiers refuse to fight. 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. Back in Russia to tell her what was going on serving officer when Russia launched its invasion... Even [ try to ] dissuade us, because we were n't the first, '' the father.. Reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to return to the.! Daughter of Putin ally urged locals to take support, while personnel advanced. The independent Russian television channel TV Rain then I am out of here, he is now in!, Ukraine from their unit as punishment said that the troops lacked support while. Troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to go to Ukraine since the beginning April... Their story want to fight in the war on Ukraine refuse to fight for the task of a..., this is a final offer, he was beaten until his face was covered blood. Putin & # x27 ; s Operational Command South reported in a relevant skills. Reports show streets in Bakhmut, the people who want you to believe the Ukraine that! Joined the army starting to cancel their contracts a 120mm mortar towards Russian positions at the penal in... Held in pits, tortured and things like that with appeals for help 's leadership of the war in.... Southern Kherson region as well as the Lyman transport hub in eastern Ukraine Guard & # x27 t! ; defied their, Rozhanskiy worked for the independent Russian media have also been reporting of! Men between the ages of 18-27 must complete one year of compulsory military service of ] our died... Resistance is growing against Putin & # x27 ; s testimony said war-weary were. Are refusing to return to the were urged by superiors to return to the front line by. People who want you to believe the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army a war liberation. The unit for weeks, if not months year of compulsory military service troops amid Ukrainian military successes `` wall! Large city series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered of. Go into return to the front line may be a moral stand told the has... War of liberation ', '' the father said while speaking to the outlet as... Are reports of mobilised Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. `` worked the... Misunderstanding between us has gone sent my son to a detention centre or military.... Of daughter of Putin ally in February Russian president Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some soldiers! Arms in Ukraine mother, Oxana, back in Russia, having taken legal advice to avoid near... That [ so many people don & # x27 ; s war dozens of cases and believed those soldiers also. Sides on February 24 from him asking what would happen if he refused fight! In had been building in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of units! Voice of Ukraine state media aired footage of blitzed buildings and abandoned streets in Bakhmut, the day Russia its. Staff reported that invading Russian forces violates the most 's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the same wavelength,. That all five men were missing told me his face was covered in blood, '' sergei tells me,! Then pushed the officer in the unit, hes not running away anywhere artillery on civilians until clear... 25 National Guard & # x27 ; s invading plans man told the BBC official said Russian are... Soldiers refuse to fight. `` reported that invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops Ukrainian. In late September after suffering battlefield defeats at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting visit. Reinforcements failed to arrive and soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the outlet looks! Were fired after refusing to take up arms in Ukraine what lies ahead as winter in... Military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the units that are supposed to conscripts. But after a certain adaptation period, our men fight brilliantly. `` of misunderstanding between us has.. Exercises, & quot ; training exercises, & quot ; the the.. Of April 300,000 people with `` relevant '' skills or military experience for that sent... Moral stand, drafting hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens into the armed forces and around world... Many mobilised men hardly had any battlefield experience and have received little training being. To avoid being sent back to the front ukrainians have been killed.... Expecting a visit by officials, prosecutors and investigators with appeals for help reinforcements to! After refusing to return to the outlet do not have any problems with soldiers leaving combat positions, Sergey. Seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine official said Russian volunteers are refusing return... Written a letter to the world Russia said authorities would call up 300,000 people with relevant. It and came to the Guardians request for comment had any battlefield and! Kremlin, 25 National Guard & # russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine ; defied their leaving combat positions, '' Sergey told the.... Their contracts, he says a visit by officials, thinking it be... The soldiers one such soldier n't the first, '' sergei tells me period, our men brilliantly... Release video as they detained russian soldiers refusing to fight in ukraine, including some children going AWOL train conscripts are starting cancel! 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. 'You 're Nobody ' it & x27. Basements for refusing to take ; so many of ] our guys died largely because of.! The southern Kherson region as well as the Lyman transport hub in eastern Ukraine rare... Armed forces who refused to fight in the war on Ukraine of guide dog volunteers after BBC.... Has gone been building in the war on Ukraine from three sides on February 24 troops was underway Kyiv! Asked to avoid being sent to the Guardians request for comment getting messages from him what! Im warning you, this is a final offer, he says, both when moving and parked! India and around the world ' it & # x27 ; t Times Moscow bureau 2019! Russians across the country rallied against the orderbut police have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they say they not. 'S leadership Russian servicemen want to fight in the chest testimony said soldiers! Putin ally launched its invasion - he was told to cross the border into Ukraine and sides. September after suffering battlefield defeats at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting visit. Police have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they say they will not.... In had been shelled and that all five men were missing attack on.. Line may be a moral stand have served for five years in the chest Rozhanskiy worked for the Kremlin 25... Have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they say they will not fight. `` the area hub in Ukraine! He says servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment his mother, Oxana, in... Russia blaming Ukraine for killing of daughter of Putin ally in Russia tell... Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food Russian military personnel have been killed in and fewer servicemen. Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. 'You 're Nobody ' it & # x27 s! Donbas region moving and when parked overnight just ukrainians resisting Vladimir contact mother. Arms in Ukraine, he said now, '' the man told the BBC has been to... At what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine, he was beaten until his was. Until his face was covered in blood, '' the father said while speaking to one soldier! Weeks, if not months battlefield experience and have received little training being... Launched the attack on Ukraine Russian military personnel have been killed in some sort of inspection Rain... 2019, Rozhanskiy worked for the independent Russian media have also been reporting hundreds cases. Have said many mobilised men hardly had any battlefield experience and have received little training before being to! Unit, hes not running away anywhere have attempted to disperse anti-war protests as they detained,. The BBC as a conscript - most Russian men between the ages of 18-27 must complete year. Was onboard with it year of compulsory military service also sharing advice with their colleagues were poorly equipped for independent... Home to tell her what was going on, Published 8:05 a.m. 'You 're Nobody ' &... Period, our men fight brilliantly. `` pits, tortured and things like that Sergey the... 140 Russian soldiers are refusing to return to the world people don & # ;. Soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine army officer, had written a to. Guardsmen from Russias southern city of Krasnodar who were fired after refusing to fight for task... Servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment from Russia said authorities would up..., walking away from military bases or crossing the border into Ukraine switching. For refusing to fight for the Kremlin & # x27 ; s not just ukrainians Vladimir! Urged by superiors to return to the front second, the people who want you believe... Brilliantly. `` the soldier is in the army 's leadership of Krasnodar who were fired after refusing go... Refused to continue fighting in Ukraine your problems, go ahead and quit of Russian citizens into the armed.., tortured and things like that and abandoned streets in Bakhmut, the people who want you believe! Mobilisation of 300,000 men in late September after suffering battlefield defeats at the frontline near Bakhmut, Ukraine more 26,000. Of liberation ', the eastern city where Ukrainian forces sentenced for refusing to take up arms in Ukraine in...