‘My Hands Are Stained with Blood’: The Russian Soldiers Fleeing the War in Ukraine

www.themoscowtimes.com...

Ivan from St. Petersburg enrolled in a military medical academy to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a doctor.

He graduated this year, when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine had already been ongoing for two and a half years. Faced with mandatory military service but wanting no part in the war, he fled the country to avoid being sent to the front lines.

"I knew from the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that this war was unjust. I was firmly against it," Ivan, a man in his 30s who asked that his name be changed for safety reasons, told The Moscow Times.

“On the one hand, you are fulfilling your medical duty as a doctor, but on the other hand, you are supporting the regime,” he said.

Although Ivan was a commissioned medical officer and not a combat soldier when he was drafted, he illegally crossed the border and now lives in a third country. He faces up to 15 years in prison if he goes back to Russia.

He is not alone. For many Russians who do not want to fight against Ukraine but cannot find a way out of conscription, deserting is the only option.

Their reasons for doing so can vary widely.

In some cases, soldiers decide to flee after seeing the horrors of the front line firsthand.

"My hands are stained with blood,” Russian deserter Denis told The Insider media outlet.
But when asked why he left, he said: “You need your own life and freedom, you don’t care about the [Russian] regime.”

I feel for these young Russians being forced into a conflict they neither wanted or asked for, with many paying the price of Putins war with their lives.

While it is impossible to determine the exact number of Russian soldiers who have deserted, Idite Lesom (“Get Lost”), a Russian project that assists men in avoiding combat and has over 100,000 followers on Telegram, told The Moscow Times it has helped over 900 people to desert.

The group has also provided consultations to at least 35,000 Russians on how to avoid military service, leave Russia or find refuge inside the country.

It must be difficult for a group like 'idite Lesom' to stay under the rader but be easy to find for people who don't want to fight in Putins war. They help these young men escape and flee to a third country and start a new life. Some deserters are fleeing through Belarus and Kyrgyzstan but this can be very dangerous, and their saftey isn't guaranteed, If caught they are bought to Russian military bases and then taken back to Russia.


A member who's recently started mis-quoting Bismark made me look back over some of Bismarks' actual quotes and I can across this one...

"Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a war."
Otto von Bismarck

originally posted by: Kurokage

It must be difficult for a group like 'idite Lesom' to stay under the rader but be easy to find for people who don't want to fight in Putins war. They help these young men escape and flee to a third country and start a new life. Some deserters are fleeing through Belarus and Kyrgyzstan but this can be very dangerous, and their saftey isn't guaranteed, If caught they are bought to Russian military bases and then taken back to Russia.

Maybe it's not too early to start organizing versions of Idite Lesom in Western countries. People who don't want to fight Russians for Ukraine or Iranians for Israel will need ways to avoid the upcoming drafts.

Too bad we didn't have organizations like this available when we invaded Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.

Now if we can figure out how to stop our tax money from financing these wars.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

At least some Russians are seeing their' leaders' error and are choosing not to fight his evil war. They can see the path he's taken and don't agree with his propaganda when reaching the front.

a reply to: Kurokage
Sounds like PTSD and desertion, pretty standard in every conflict in every military. I guess it just means, Russians are human too. Who would have thought?

Sad because all this was avoidable if Ukraine simply didn't align with nato and western imperialism...

It'd be like China training and arming troops in Mexico. All the while promoting and provoking anti-American sentiment among the population.

This just shows Russians are human too. Not the orcs the mental midgets are lead to believe.

originally posted by: Kurokage
a reply to: VictorVonDoom

At least some Russians are seeing their' leaders' error and are choosing not to fight his evil war. They can see the path he's taken and don't agree with his propaganda when reaching the front.

I find it astounded we're more than 2 years in and there are still people like yourself who think Ukraine is some innocent victim of Russia's unprovoked aggression.

Have you not done any research into the 2014 coup that overthrew the democratic elected leader of Ukraine?

Americans that don't support democracy are very unpatriotic don't you think?

Or is it only the democracies you agree with that somehow makes you immune of being a hypocrite?

a reply to: JAY1980

Sad because all this was avoidable if Ukraine simply didn't align with nato and western imperialism...

I agree Jay, it was avoidable, Putin could have used diplomacy insted of interfering in Ukraines democratic process and invading a free sovereign nation.

I find it astounded we're more than 2 years in and there are still people like yourself who think Ukraine is some innocent victim of Russia's unprovoked aggression.

And I find it astounding that people like you are apologists for a dictator invading and killing innocent civilans for power and land.

a reply to: JAY1980

Have you not done any research into the 2014 coup that overthrew the democratic elected leader of Ukraine?

I think you should check your own research here...

The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, 5 December 1994.

The memoranda, signed in Patria Hall at the Budapest Convention Center with US Ambassador Donald M. Blinken amongst others in attendance,[3] prohibited Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom from threatening or using military force or economic coercion against Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, "except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations." As a result of other agreements and the memorandum, between 1993 and 1996, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons

a reply to: JAY1980

www.thebulwark.com...

"This democratic elected leader" you speak of, Yanukovych, was a corrupt Russia installed puppet who presided over a period of brutal authoritarian repression before fleeing with some $70 billion of state assets.

Have some facts:

www.britannica.com...

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

Didn't he flee to Russia after more than 70 people were killed demonstrating against his series of anti-protest measures and the remaining support for Yanukovych and his administration crumbled?

a reply to: Kurokage

No. He was deeply loved by Ukrainians and it was all the fault of the CIA and Nuland...and bio labs....and Nazis....and...er..that's it.

Apparently.

BBC News - Russia's targeting of 'enemies within' evokes ghosts of the Soviet past
www.bbc.com...

"Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine there have been regular reports of Russians reporting neighbours, colleagues and acquaintances to the police over alleged anti-war statements.

Denunciations have led to arrests, prosecutions and, in some cases, long prison sentences."

My goodness.

No wonder these soldiers want to remain anonymous.