Russian soldiers desert en masse to avoid frontlines in Ukraine
Sławomir Zagórski • 6hThe Kremlin is mass-producing "cannon fodder." On social media, Russians complain and share tips on how to avoid military service. The organization Iditie Liesom has already helped 30,000 conscripts and soldiers escape – the equivalent of two divisions.
Since the beginning of the aggression in Ukraine, the Russian army has irretrievably lost 505,000 troops—killed, wounded, captured, or missing. The Kremlin must replenish these giant losses with new conscripts. Currently, the draft does not exceed 15,000 per month, but only 6,000 to 12,000 new soldiers reach the front. The rest remain in the rear.
According to Russian media reports, the number of volunteers among convicts and men from the poorest regions has dropped significantly. In the cities, roundups have begun, and escapes from the army— or attempts to evade it—have increased.
You can read many stories of Russian deserters on the Iditie Liesom organization channel.
"Last year, I turned 23. I had been successfully avoiding the army for five years, but I was caught on the street in December last year. They put me in a van . . .
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russian-soldiers-desert-en-masse-to-avoid-frontlines-in-ukraine/ar-BB1ohtdn
