UK intelligence reports on desertions in Russian army and soldiers refusing to take part in hostilities

UK Defence Intelligence has noted a considerable number of refusals to fight in the war among the Russian army, which Russia has so far compensated for by enlisting new people without proper training.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The analysts report that two Russians were sentenced to two years in prison on 25 August for refusing to return to the battlefield. Mediazone news outlet said in July that around a hundred soldiers are being convicted weekly of refusing to participate in the war.

"If this trend continues, there will be approximately 5,200 convictions a year for refusing to fight. The high rate of convictions demonstrates the poor state of morale in the Russian Army and the reluctance of some elements to fight," the UK MoD stated.

The UK MoD suggests that the lack of training, motivation and stressful situations facing the Russian military along the contact line are factors behind the desertion.

"Although some soldiers have refused to fight and attrition rates remain high, Russia highly likely mitigates their loss by committing a mass of poorly trained soldiers to the frontline. Since Russia’s September 2022 partial mobilisation, Russia has adapted its approach to warfare by utilising sheer mass for offensive and defensive operations," UK intelligence reported.

Earlier, UK Defence Intelligence stated that although Russia has made military service financially attractive, the Kremlin still faces challenges in recruiting new people to the army.

Meanwhile, Polish intelligence services say Russian intelligence keeps trying to recruit agents to act in Russia's favour.

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