The war against Ukraine is driving more and more Russian soldiers to desert. According to British intelligence, there have already been more cases this year than in all of last year.
According to British secret services, the number of Russian deserters in the war against Ukraine has recently increased significantly.
Between January and May, Russian military courts dealt with a total of 1,053 cases of desertion, the British Ministry of Defense said, citing research by independent Russian journalists. That is more than in all of 2022. Court records indicate that most deserters are given suspended sentences so that they can be used again in the war.
“The Russian military has struggled to enforce discipline within its own ranks since operations in Ukraine began, but these problems have most likely worsened since the forced mobilization of reservists in October 2022,” it said in London. “Russian efforts to improve discipline have focused on making examples of deserters and encouraging patriotic zeal rather than addressing the root causes of soldiers’ disenchantment.”
The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, citing intelligence information. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.
Source: Stern
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