"They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. The men, who belonged to the key headquarters of the Pskov . In . What's he waiting for? Initially he "believed it was right" despite his dad trying to convince him not to go to war, the BBC report said. They said no remains had been found. Im supposed to be ready for any situation; this war, this special operation, one soldier wrote. ET. 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. The soldier, "not wanting to take part in a . Ilya Kononov, a contract soldier from the city of Pskov in western Russia, was charged with "unauthorized . 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. In particular, conscripts are starting to cancel their contracts. A month later - 24 February, the day Russia launched its invasion - he was told to cross the border. It is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression; it is a war without a just cause. If a soldier acts according to such procedures, then he cannot be criminally prosecuted for this. This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. We didnt have normal munitions, no flak jackets or helmets. It wouldn't cost much to equip us. Some troops are refusing orders, walking away from military bases or crossing the border into Ukraine and switching sides, media reports show. 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 president announced what he called a "partial mobilisation", drafting hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens into the armed forces. Images by Anton Chicherov. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, Quote from the General Staff: "Troops from the so-called volunteer Cossack Detachment, attached to the 155th Marine Brigade of the Russian Pacific Fleet, are refusing to continue to take part in offensive operations due to the failure of the offensive and significant personnel losses near Vuhledar.". 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.". Their official status is missing in action. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that.". 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. 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. "You've got relatives there. But the soldier later discussed with his father what would happen if he refused to fight. In his unit of 50 people, 10 were killed and 10 others wounded. He had helped oversee fighting in eastern Ukraine. VLADIMIR Putin's demoralised and disillusioned troops are fleeing the war in Ukraine and surrendering without a fight, reports claim. Because there are no criminal articles for requesting the termination of a contract based on anti-war beliefs, Krivenko told Current Time. Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. "They are keeping people there because they wanted to leave, refused to fight," the father alleged. More than 26,000 Russian military personnel have been killed in . "I'm morally exhausted. Unit commanders then staged an intervention. 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. 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. 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. During wartime, rules are totally different. A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was . A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. Emilio Morenatti. The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". 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. That's what people who have come from there say.". People in Kyiv are being warned of street fighting and "subversive groups" on the third day of the Russian invasion, with reports of 198 Ukrainians dead nationwide since troops first crossed the . Army commanders try to intimidate contract soldiers into staying with their units, according to Russian human rights lawyer Alexei Tabalov. 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. Within the dense smoke caused by the propaganda of one side or the other, the truth is that there does seem to be a good number of Russian soldiers who have refused to fight in Ukraine. Honestly, we had to supply ourselves with food. Kononov reportedly had taken part in President Vladimir Putin's so-called special military operation in the Eastern European nation but left his military unit without permission for more than 10 days. He believes his commanders had planned to capture strongholds and key cities very quickly - and had calculated that the Ukrainians would simply surrender. This is not our war. Sergei made several trips to the front line to try to secure his son's release. The Insider. As casualties have mounted, so have Ukrainian officials' efforts to appeal directly to the Russian people, saying they are being lied to about a war Moscow still calls a "special operation . Also, according to Dmytrashkivskyi, the 136th Brigade, which was formed for the war in Chechnya, has arrived in the Vuhledar area. Perhaps this is due to the weather conditions, which doesnt allow them to actively use military equipment now, the spokesperson said. 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. This story has been shared 102,045 times. At the beginning of April, Sergey was sent back over the border to a camp on the Russian side. While speaking, he blew cigarette smoke into an officers face, who responded by pushing him away. 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. The young Russian was among those men who enlisted. These people are ready for anything. Nearly all . But I was thinking, Im still young; at any moment, a piece of shrapnel, a bullet could fly into my head. Russian soldiers are increasingly dying from accidental friendly fire . They began to stir and offer up some alternatives when people started specifically saying no, he said. He said the "Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights" being witnessed in the world today. 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. 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. Vladimir Putins forces launched an invasion of Ukraine in February but never formally declared war, meaning soldiers can be fired but shouldnt be jailed, an attorney who has represented reluctant soldiers told the newspaper. 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. They would be looking at time in prison.. 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. 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 . Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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 . Im tired. "We rushed forward with short overnight stays, without trenches, without reconnaissance. I still havent seen her. Moscow's war is unjust, but there's no moral obligation for soldiers to refuse to fight. 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. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to . 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. Russia has also turned to mercenaries to bolster its war efforts, deploying fighters from the shadowy Kremlin-linked Wagner group. AP. As of July 20, the fate of the detained soldiers was unknown. 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. 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