Putin facing revolt as soldiers refuse to deploy to Ukraine: diplomat

[Person of Interest]

According to a Ukrainian diplomat speaking on the Daily Beast's "The New Abnormal" podcast, Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has multiple problems hampering his attempt to take over the country and now it is being compounded by soldiers refusing to take part in the war against their neighbors.


https://www.rawstory.com/putin-ukraine-2656959595/

[SheltieLover]

1. Good!

[tanyev]

2. Wow.

That’s likely a very risky thing to do in Russia.

[Indykatie]

3. How Does a Russian Soldiers Refuse to Take Part in the War?

I'm not sure anyone refusing to take part would still be around to tell of their refusal.

[Botany]

7. " How Does a Russian Soldiers Refuse to Take Part in the War?" Several ways not all of them ....

..... are good.


1) Get his fellow soldiers to go along with "not going."

2) Shoot his senior officers and even his NCOs if they try to force him to go.

3) Walk away and expect to be shot.

4) Kill yourself.

5) Kill Vlad Putin.

BTW It is easy for me to sit in my house and type this shit for "the internets" but that is totally different
from "being there."

[Gore1FL]

8. I suspect the easiest way would be to go into Ukraine and then go AWOL.

That's what I'd do, I think.

[democratsruletheday]

10. The number of Russians AWOL now must be sky high....

OR they've gone over to the other side. I have read some rumblings that some Russian kids sent into that human blender have switched sides. I believe it.

[C Moon]

19. It seems like it would be an easy way for Russian to get spies into Ukraine, then.

So I hope they are all gathered up and imprisoned until Russia leaves their country.

[Lucky Luciano]

22. Nah - a bunch of 18-20 year olds will mostly not be sophisticated spies.

[lpbk2713]

12. I'd bring along a change of clothing.

A Russian uniform might be shot on sight.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. I think they have red tape on the arms of Rusky camo & Ukrainians have yellow tape on their camo

Bring a yellow handkerchief or yellow cloth.

[housecat]

15. that's what I was thinking, because Putin can just call them dead.

[Johnyawl]

24. That's what I was thinking...

I saw a video on twitter this morning about 7 Armored personal carriers that had been abandoned in a suburb of Kyiv. It looked like it had been a pretty nice neighborhood before the war, fairly large lots, large houses plenty of shrubbery and out buildings. The APC's were parked amongst the shrubbery, and deep into the driveways like they were trying to hide. No soldiers anywhere. I told my wife it looked like the crews of those vehicles tried to hide the vehicles and had taken off on foot. It'd be pretty easy to search the houses for any clothe that fit, ditch your uniform and start walking toward the Polish border. Join a crowd of refugees, pass yourself off as a Russian speaking Ukrainian, just one more displaced person seeking shelter. There are NGOs helping the refugees once they cross into Poland, Hungary or Romania. Get a visa, get resettled in western Europe or north America, get a job, and settle in to enjoy your life. Fuck Putin and his goddamn wars.

[Evolve Dammit]

25. I believe I would as well. And ask forgiveness.

[COL Mustard]

31. I know that in the US military doing that

Would be considered desertion, or at least misbehavior in the face of the enemy (one of the charges against Bowe Bergdahl) and it's a serious matter. In the Russian Army I'd expect a drumhead court and a quick firing squad for the encouragement of the others, if for no other reason.

[Gore1FL]

35. I imagine you are 100% correct in that analysis.

Given the other options of "refusing to deploy," this one gives them at least a chance of getting away without consequences. I don't think they have any good options if refusing deployment is their plan.

[Igel]

9. Two easy ways.

When deployed and relatively on your own, surrender to an old woman or a postman. Either way, they're unlikely to kill you; either way, they'll escort you to a detention center with food you don't have to steal.

Or when you get your draft notice to report, you just say, "What? Must have gotten lost in the mail." There was a draft law circulating last week that if you don't report when summoned it was a crime--with having the summons *mailed* being sufficient proof of being summoned. (In any event, you know if you're a certain age that you must report by 4/1, the only question that remains is where--but since most towns have an induction center, even that's not much of a serious question.)

In Vietnam, most objectors didn't surrender to the North Vietnamese. They just didn't report when summoned. Same thing.

Dunno if conscripts are given time off after their equivalent of basic training.

[housecat]

18. When the ink on my husband's green card hadn't dried I got a phone call

that he needs to go to whatever and do whatever. Before hanging up the phone I just said "Fuck You."

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. Immediately upon entering Ukrainian soil, go UA and surrender to the

nearest Ukrainian forces or civilians.

[TomWilm]

16. Both Russia and Ukraine has laws about forcing soldiers at gun point ...

... but it is not like deserters are shot down on the spot. There will be arrest and trials and so on.

Both armies have problems getting the young men to join for their mandatory military education. In Russia it has been quite normal for youngsters to go "underground" for years to stay out of the army - and there is not that much control, so they can still go to schools or have work anyway.

Now many countries encourages Russian soldiers to flee the army and the country, and they would be welcome to get asylum. These encouragements does not reach out to Ukrainian war resisters, who can get years of prison in Ukraine...

[Tommymac]

29. "Both"? Please document the Ukraine war resisters going to jail, have not seen that in Western Press

Just asking for some links to mainstream non-Russian influenced press sources.

[TomWilm]

36. Then you are not paying enough attention to the Western Press ...

... but these stories can be hard to find. Western journalists are only eager to write about Russian deserters.

Members of the media are suffering harassment at the hands of the Ukrainian authorities. Among them is the journalist Ruslan Kotsaba—Amnesty International's first Ukrainian prisoner of conscience. Ruslan Kotsaba was arrested after he expressed opposition to military conscription of Ukrainians. After being formally charged on "high treason," he faces up to 15 years in prison.
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraines-suspicious-deaths-must-be-credibly-investigated-323796

Kotsaba spent 524 days behind bars. First court acquitted him, but the state did not give up: Since September 2021, Kotsaba are in courts again, accused of “treason and obstruction of military operations”.

- Ukraine Passes Law Allowing Military to Shoot Deserters.
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-passes-law-shoot-deserters-304911

[COL Mustard]

32. Don't expect western-style courts and justice

From the Russians, at least now.

The Ukrainians are fighting for their lives and their country. I doubt there's a lot of low morale there.

[getagrip_already]

17. fragging was a solution some in vietnam used......

to vote their displeasure with their "superior" occifers............

I'm sure it's no different in the russian army.

Poor commanders are stuck between a firing squad from above and a grenade from below.

[Rebl2]

23. That was

might thought too. More power to ‘um though.

[Stuart G]

4. I guess Mr. Putin has made a "mistake in his invasion." He was ..."so sure he would win."

..Will he pay the same price as the others?...

....I don't know....Next Episode is coming soon to a channel near you....

[mucifer]

5. i realllly Hope that's true . Not so sure

[zipplewrath]

20. Likewise

"According to a Ukrainian diplomat..."

Both sides in a war can use disinformation.

[Bleacher Creature]

26. Yeah, I had the exact same reaction.

This would obviously be the absolute best case scenario, but until others start reporting the same thing it also feels too good to be true.

[SergeStorms]

6. This has been true.....

since the first Russian soldiers found out where they were going. They were initially told this was "an exercise". Then they crossed the border into, and started attacking, Ukraine. Some soldiers turned around and walked back into Russia, some abandoned their equipment or sabotaged it (punching holes in gas tanks etc.) and many just lost interest and refused to fight.

This isn't anything new, really. This has been going on since day one. This is just one of the reasons the Russian invasion has bogged down.

[Igel]

13. This "special military operation's" rhetoric has a shelf-life.

I'm guessing it's close to its end.

Russia? Huge territory. 140 million people. Ukraine? Not so huge, 44 million (pre-exodus, pre-breakaway republics/Crimea).

They're allegedly just "liberating" the "proper" territory of the DNR and LNR. Get a map. Compare Russia with the extent of the two provinces.

At some point the huge mass of the most awesome and excellent Russian Army will have spent so much time trying to liberate an area of 21,000 sq miles (think 145 miles square) from a weak willed, drug-addicted foe that it'll be ridiculous to think either that the army is awesome and great or that they're only after 21,000 sq miles or that the foe is that inept.

Even with western help, it'll be a problem.

[Achilles Skye]

21. Folks don't want to be run through a meat grinder

to fulfill one man's deranged ambition...who knew?!

[left-of-center2012]

27. this

"The [Ukrainian] soldiers are ready to fight until the last drop of blood here and Russian soldiers increasingly are clueless about what they’re doing here.”

[left-of-center2012]

28. "According to a Ukrainian diplomat ..."

Well then, it must be true.

[Ilsa]

30. My understanding of WW2 history was that

conscripts, if unwilling to advance in a very dangerous situation, were shot immediately by the commanding officer. Everyone else figured they should at least take a chance at living. I don't know how true it was, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[Aussie105]

33. What if they gave a war and no one came?

In this instance, only Putin thinks it was a good idea.

[70sEraVet]

34. Didn't Russian soldiers say no to the war in 1917?