Crisis in Russia’s Military: Soldiers Assassinate Commander in Crimea and Desert, Increasing Defections Shake the Army.
Defection seems to be becoming commonplace in Russia’s military. According to the Munich-based outlet “Merkur“, several soldiers from a division stationed in Crimea recently attacked and fatally wounded their deputy commander. This information, reported by Merkur, comes from independent media citing the Ukrainian intelligence service.
Dire Conditions in Putin’s Army
Christian Göbel, a lieutenant colonel in the reserves, discussed the precarious conditions in the Russian army that might contribute to increased desertion in the Bundeswehr podcast “Nachgefragt.” According to Merkur, Göbel describes the Russian army as an environment where younger soldiers are harassed by older ones and general mistreatment of soldiers prevails. He also cites Mikhail Shishkin, who refers to the Russian army as a “school of slaves.”
Merkur reports that since March 2023, the Russian military judiciary has been issuing about 100 sentences against soldiers weekly, mostly for unauthorized absence. The penalties range from probation to imprisonment. Under Russian law, desertion can lead to up to 15 years in prison. Vladimir Putin emphasized in 2019 that “treason is the gravest crime.”
Defection Apparently Has a Tradition
The desertion of Russian soldiers is not a new phenomenon. Merkur mentions that defection was widespread even in the former GDR among the “Group of Soviet Forces in Germany,” often resulting in harsh penalties.
In Germany, Russian deserters receive asylum, as stated by the Federal Ministry for Migration and Refugees, according to Merkur. Desertion is regarded as an expression of oppositional conviction, especially since even the term “war” can be politically persecuted in Russia.
Picture: Diego González