Russian soldiers desert en masse in Kherson, they refuse to die due to ambitions of Putin

Cases of desertion among Russian soldiers have become more frequent in the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region. To combat this, Russian command has begun using blocking detachments, reports the National Resistance Center.

It is noted that the reasons for desertion and cases of self-mutilation are the unwillingness of the Russian soldiers to die due to the ambitions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

To find deserters, additional forces of the Russian National Guard have arrived in the region, performing the role of blocking detachments.

"It should be noted that the enemy is resettling the occupiers along the Dnipro riverbank in empty Ukrainian homes and seized dormitories. For this purpose, the local occupation administration compiles lists of suitable premises for settlement," the report states.

According to information, mass desertions in the brigade have been recorded due to commanders' abuse of power: group beatings, threats of being senton one-way missions, and round-the-clock duty shifts that deprive soldiers of rest.

Additionally, military personnel have gone for months without receiving payments. Soldiers, unwilling to tolerate such treatment, are abandoning their positions. Some, through their relatives, have sought help from human rights organizations.

According to the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), mass desertions in the Russian army are linked to poor treatment by the command and the inability to provide soldiers with sufficient weapons.

Recently, ISW referenced an article by the Russian opposition outlet Vazhnye Istorii, which disclosed details from an internal Russian Defense Ministry document. According to the document, over 1,000 Russian servicemen, including officers, deserted from the 20th Motorized Rifle Division. As of April 20, 2024, the number of deserters exceeded the personnel of a battalion. İt is noted that the command of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division had appealed to the Defense Ministry for assistance in locating deserters. It also surveyed personnel from the 33rd and 255th Motorized Rifle Regiments of the 20th Brigade. They attributed the high desertion rate to heavy losses, failure to deliver promised payments, and the practice of deploying wounded and ill soldiers in assaults. “These complaints mirror frequent Russian ultranationalist mil blogger complaints about the Russian MoD's poor treatment of Russian military personnel, and the alleged internal document indicates that the MoD is likely aware of the scale of Russian morale problems,” the ISW experts stated.