It was in 2016 that President Vladimir Putin created the special force Rosgvardia, which is called “Putin’s private army”. The unit was set up to fight terrorism. The force is best known for cracking down on protesters protesting against Putin and his regime. The special forces are hand-picked and should be among the president’s best and most loyal combatants. Now 115 of them have been fired because they refuse to fight in Ukraine, writes The Guardian. Rosgvardia is known for cracking down on protesters. The picture is from a demonstration in support of the opposition in Russia July 27, 2019. Photo: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP The British newspaper writes that what is happening in this special force is now the clearest sign of resistance to the war registered among the Russian military. The soldiers are protesting against being fired and getting help from a lawyer. But on Wednesday, a court rejected the soldiers’ appeal. The court believes that the authorities have the right to dismiss them because they refuse to fight in Ukraine. Will drop “meat grinder” Another lawyer, Mikhail Benyash, says hundreds of Russian soldiers have contacted him and his colleagues. The soldiers ask for advice on how to avoid going to war. Among the many who have made contact are 12 members of another group within Rosgvardia, “Putin’s private army.” Rosgvardia, called Putin’s private army, is often used to crack down on demonstrations. Photo from August 10, 2019. Photo: VASILY MAXIMOV / AFP – The soldiers’ officers try to threaten them with imprisonment if they refuse, but we still advise the soldiers to say no, says Benyash to The Guardian. – Many soldiers have therefore chosen either to be fired or to be transferred to a less attractive place of service instead of going to the “meat grinder” in Ukraine, the lawyer says. Lawyer: Soldiers have the right to refuse Lawyer Mikhail Benyash says it would have been far more difficult to refuse if Putin had officially declared war on Ukraine. – In a war, there are other rules that apply. Then it will be hit much harder on those who refuse. They will be sent to prison, the lawyer says. The same view is held by the lawyer Andrei Sabinin, who represents “the 115”. He believes all Russian soldiers have the right to refuse because Russia is not officially at war with the neighboring country. Rosgvardia, which is a department of the National Guard, is used to stop demonstrations. Here from a protest action in Moscow in August 2019. Photo: VASILY MAXIMOV / AFP President Vladimir Putin has always said that Russia is conducting a special operation. Then the rules of war do not apply. Then soldiers who refuse to fight can not be put behind bars and beaten, the two Russian lawyers believe. Arrested after mention of deserters The Guardian is sitting on documents showing that mention of soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine, leads to imprisonment. The newspaper points out that the editor of Novy Fokus was arrested because he wrote about 11 soldiers from another department within “Putin’s private army” Rosgvardia, who refused to go to war. Editor Mikhail Afanasyev was arrested by security forces in April. Calm patrol was promised in the streets of Kyiv In the court documents from the case of these 11 special forces, it appears that they feel cheated by the authorities. – We were told that we were going to Ukraine to patrol the streets and entrances to Kyiv, says one of them. It is clear that the soldiers in advance of the war got the understanding that Russia was planning a blitzkrieg with a quick takeover of the capital Kyiv. This has not been the case. Special forces from Rosgvardia, called Putin’s private army. The picture is from October in 2021. Photo: ALEXANDER NEMENOV / AFP Soldiers from units other than Rosgvardia, have also refused to fight in the war. – I want to return to my family, but not in a coffin When soldiers in a brigade who were told to fight in Ukraine for the second time, there was unrest in the department. “Dimitri” tells The Guardian. – It quickly became clear that not everyone was willing. Many of us refused to return to the war, says the soldier who does not want to give his real name. – I want to return to my family, but not in a coffin. – First our officers got angry, then they calmed down. They knew there was not much they could do, says the soldier. Lack of foot soldiers On Thursday, Ukraine’s political and military leaders admitted that Russia has a military advantage in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Russia is said to have used heavier and more advanced weapons recently. But experts believe that Russia’s big problem is that it lacks infantrymen, so-called infantry, to hold on to areas that Russian forces have subjugated. The Guardian writes that Russia mobilized 80 percent of the infantrymen who were operating in the country prior to the invasion. About 150,000 Russian soldiers were sent to the border area before the actual invasion began on 24 February. There is disagreement about how many thousands of Russian soldiers were killed in the war, but the number should be high. Many others are said to be exhausted, unmotivated and ill-equipped for further warfare. One result of the shortage of foot soldiers is that Putin has recruited tens of thousands of so-called foreign fighters. According to the BBC, most, about 16,000, have been recruited from Syria, where Russian forces have been providing military assistance to President Assad’s regime for several years. Special forces from Rosgvardia practice before participating in a parade in Moscow in May 2021. Photo: Pavel Golovkin / AP
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115 special forces soldiers from Putin’s private army refuse to fight in Ukraine fired – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
