A major blow has struck Russia's military as an entire regiment of over 1,000 soldiers reportedly deserted from the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division based in Volgograd, according to an investigation by Russian outlet iStories.
The mass desertion included high-ranking officers - 26 junior officers, a major, and two lieutenant colonels abandoned their posts. The detailed list obtained by investigators revealed 858 contract soldiers, 150 mobilized troops, and two conscripts among those who fled.
This development comes as Russian forces continue to suffer heavy losses in Ukraine, with reported casualties reaching 724,050 and daily losses averaging around 1,500 troops.
The deserters, nicknamed "sochniks" in Russian military slang, face severe consequences under Article 338 of Russia's Criminal Code - up to 15 years imprisonment. Military courts have seen a sharp rise in desertion cases, processing nearly 1,000 cases monthly by July 2024.
A former soldier identified as Mikhail, who also fled the division, described deteriorating conditions and heavy losses. He reported approximately 500 deaths within the division during summer 2022 due to Ukrainian attacks. "Everyone was tired, no one liked it," Mikhail told investigators, describing severely undermanned defensive positions.
The 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division, previously stationed at Kherson International Airport, had endured multiple Ukrainian artillery strikes. By March 2022, the division's headquarters had been targeted eight times by Ukrainian forces.
While the desertion of over 1,000 troops from a single division appears substantial, iStories noted that Russia maintains at least two dozen divisions in the ongoing conflict. This is not an isolated incident - previous reports indicated over 18,000 Russian soldiers from the Southern Military District had abandoned their positions.
In response to mounting personnel shortages, Russia has turned to foreign recruitment, notably deploying North Korean soldiers to eastern front lines as the conflict approaches its third year.