The Russians are fleeing

It is recalled that the first few years of Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to the exodus of military-capable men from Russia, while among those who went to Ukraine there were numerous reports of low morale and dissatisfaction with the commanders.

Therefore, during the war, the Russian authorities tightened the criminal code in order to increase discipline in the armed forces.

However, the situation is now such that there has been a huge increase in the number of those who want to leave the front, according to the data obtained by "Preokret".

It is stated that in 2023, 4,373 people were convicted of leaving the unit without authorization, which is a fivefold increase compared to 887 cases the previous year. This is also a nearly ninefold increase from the 527 cases recorded in 2021.

Meanwhile, last year 289 soldiers were accused of disobeying orders. Before 2023, such a charge was rare, with only nine cases in the previous five years combined.

Moreover, in 2023, 129 people were tried for "desertion", while 31 people were accused of feigning illness and citing other methods to avoid service.

Otherwise, in Russia, clear refusal to fight is punished with, on average, two years and three months in a penal colony, but desertion requires a more severe punishment.

"Preokret" stated that eight mobilized men were sentenced to seven years in a strict regime colony for fleeing from the Ukrainian region of Lugansk with weapons and ammunition.

"Sentences under the pretext of 'armed conflict or hostilities' are handed down the harshest," Proekret reported in its analysis last month, adding that there are "probably many more repressive cases" because not all of them will appear in Russian court records.

Russian forces have faced massive losses during Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion, with the latest figures from Ukraine's General Staff on Wednesday putting the number of dead and wounded at 433,090, although other estimates are lower.

Also, there is now renewed speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin will announce another draft law to make up for dwindling troop numbers following his victory in Kremlin-controlled elections last weekend.