Are Russian soldiers defecting? – The question is a big one. Many Russian troops are serving in Ukraine, but they are refusing to go because of the conflict there. While the Kremlin has maintained that there are no Russian troops in the area, the reports from the area challenge that claim. The Kremlin has claimed that all of the people fighting in the conflict are volunteers, but the accounts of those who have left the army are putting that statement to the test.
Earlier this year, a 21-year-old Russian soldier quit his military unit because of the conflict in Ukraine. He was a member of a modernized tank division, but asked not to be identified by the media. He said he was sent to the Ukraine last summer, but returned in September when the peace talks began. The soldier’s letter was published in the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which cited the names of the soldiers who had resigned from the tank division.
Some of the former Russian soldiers said they were disgruntled after fighting in the Ukrainian conflict. One of the soldiers who resigned said he had been sent to the Ukraine last summer, but returned to Russia in September when the peace talks began. Another soldier said he had been sent to the Ukraine but returned to Russia after the war ended. Several former soldiers told reporters that they were sent to fight in Ukraine despite the fact that they were disgruntled by their experiences.
Are Russian soldiers defecting?? – A letter from a member of the State Duma says no. But one former soldier, Iosif Kobzon, has written to the injured fighters in eastern Ukraine. In his letter, he spoke with a Buryat soldier. The letter was published in the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta. The Buryat soldier was later identified as Dorji Batomunkoyev, a member of the military units 46108 in Ulan-Ude.
A popular singer in Russia called Iosif Kobzon, a member of the State Duma, recently visited wounded fighters in Donetsk. He met with a Buryat soldier, who resigned because of the conflict in Ukraine. The letter was signed by Miskovets, and he said his deputy had also signed it. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the case, but he said the letters were “recent” and were not faked.
Some of the soldiers from the Ukraine have resigned from their post, citing fears of being sent to the Ukraine. Other former soldiers said they were afraid of the war and were pressured into it. They were also dissatisfied with the war. They said they were forced to go to Ukraine to fight in the region and returned to Russia after fighting in the east. But the US did not respond to their questions.
The resignations of two Russian soldiers were later confirmed by a Russian representative of the State Duma. He also claimed that the three Buryats he met had left the army after they got injured in the fighting in Ukraine. The two men are brothers. Although they were reportedly killed by Ukrainian fighters, they did not defect. The former soldier was in the same position as Kobzon. It is unclear whether the Ukrainian army has killed the Buryats.
In the eastern Ukraine, three former soldiers have defected. The three soldiers are not known to have been identified in the letters. Their families did not want the men to leave the country because they believe the Ukrainian conflict is a war crime. They are now living in the same country as their relatives and are forced to voluntarily stay in their countries. The Ukrainian soldier had no intention of defecting. The other soldier, who resigned, did not give any reason for his resignation.
While these reasons may not be the cause of the defecting soldiers, it is clear that the war in Ukraine is a major cause for concern. In July 2014, a young soldier in Crimea defected to the United States. Several other soldiers left the Ukrainian army as well. It is unclear which soldiers are leaving their units. Reuters has asked the Army if a soldier’s resignation is related to the Ukraine conflict.