UK intelligence outlines scale of AWOL Russian service personnel
The number of criminal cases brought in Russia against service personnel for going AWOL (absent without leave) contradicts the official narrative that Russia values the military service of those who fight in its illegal war against Ukraine.
Source: UK Defence Intelligence update dated 30 June on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda
Details: UK Defence Intelligence cited data released by the Russian media outlet Mediazona that indicates that Russian courts have received 20,538 cases of service personnel going AWOL, deserting, or refusing to carry out orders.
Most of the cases, which cover the period from February 2022 to the end of May 2025, relate to absence without leave, which in Russia is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. More than 86.2% of the cases have been prosecuted.
Quote: "There are a range of factors that can lead a soldier to desert. Brutal discipline in the Russian Armed Forces, poor medical treatment for injured soldiers and inadequate military training all likely contribute to Russian service personnel going AWOL."
More details: UK Defence Intelligence notes that a Russian soldier who has enlisted for service under a contract can be sent to the front line within 14 days of signing the contract and undergo only 5 days of military training.
Quote: "This all runs counter to the official narrative that the Russian leadership values the military service of those who fight in Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. It is a realistic possibility that those prosecuted could commute their sentence by serving in the Russian Storm-Z convict assault units."
Background:
- In a previous update, UK intelligence noted that the conflict between Israel and Iran poses challenges to Russia, though the Kremlin also sees some benefits.
- In early June, UK intelligence noted that Russia has lost about one million military personnel killed and wounded since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022.
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