Russian soldiers flee Kursk region amid severe conditions and alleged abuses by their command
In Russia's Kursk region, several soldiers fled from the military amid severe conditions and alleged abuses, including beatings and being tied to posts.
The wife of a conscripted Russian soldier claimed that her husband went missing after being sent to the Kursk region. She contacted Russian media, stating he was in Kamenka, 18 km from St. Petersburg, where he refused to return to the frontline. She told the news outlet Astra that her husband previously sustained injuries, had shrapnel wounds, and struggled to walk, which led him to submit a refusal letter.
The "refusenik" soldier was not allowed to head home. During a medical commission, doctors told him he had a category B health status but would be assigned an A, essentially saying, "If you have arms and legs, go fight." In an act of defiance, the soldier deserted his unit. He was subsequently detained and expected to stand trial in September. "We decided that prison was better than all of this," his wife admitted to the media.
The Russian army command disapproved of the soldier’s rebellious plans. Alongside 150 other soldiers, he was flown to Kursk. Once at the training ground, the commanders, more familiar with the Ukrainian capabilities, gave the arriving troops one invaluable piece of advice: "If you can run, do it," they emphasized.
37 soldiers heeded this advice and fled, wearing body armor and carrying rifles, but were soon caught by military police. The deserter in mention was tasered in the neck, and another was tied to a post. Subsequently, the deserters were sent to Shebekinsky district in Belgorod region, where the contact with them was lost.