Number of Official ‘Objectors’ Among Russian Military Growing

The wave of refusals to take part in the war against Ukraine continues in the Russian army. It was confirmed that the number of refusals among the contractors in the units of the 150th motorised rifle division of the 8th army of the southern military district of the Russian armed forces reached 60-70% of the total number of personnel. This was reported by the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

Deputy commanders of military-political units and FSB officers “work” with servicemen who refused to go to Ukraine. People are persuaded to take part in offensive operations. In case of repeated refusal, they threaten to crack down on relatives.

Those, who are still not persuaded, receive a record in their personal file: “He refused to take part in a special military operation in the territory of Luhansk People’s Republic, Donetsk People’s Republic, and Ukraine.” Those, who have not yet taken part in the war against Ukraine and remain in the so-called “strategic reserve” at permanent locations, receive a similar record. Those, who arrived in the units during the rotation but refused to take part in hostilities, receive a stamp in their military ID: “He evaded military service and combat missions during a special military operation in Ukraine.”

Moreover, “specific” methods of persuasion are used. In particular, the promised payment for injury or contusion in the amount of 3 million rubles is given only if a serviceman returns to a unit for further participation in hostilities. Otherwise, Russian servicemen have critical problems with paperwork and even obtaining proper medical services and certificates confirming they have an injury.

At the same time, the Russian command takes measures to conceal the actual number of soldiers killed. Their bodies are amassed in morgues in Rostov region. Many bodies have been in morgues for more than a month.

Natalia Tolub