Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
Russia faces a growing desertion crisis, with an estimated 70,000 soldiers going AWOL in 2025 alone. Poor training, brutal tactics, and corrupt commanders drive troops to flee. Those caught face torture or execution in secret detention sites. Meanwhile, Ukraine's drone superiority means Russian soldiers survive just thirty minutes once spotted.
Sources
youtube.com/watch?v=mWP5hCZDeks
youtube.com/shorts/lbDtyn6V_II
meduza.io/en/feature/2026/07/11/many-russian-soldiers-would-rather-do-time-than-die-at-the-front-but-the-military-is-increasingly-hauling-them-back-to-the-war-anyway
https://novayagazeta.eu/en/articles/2025/09/23/un-report-finds-that-over-50000-russian-soldiers-have-deserted-since-2022-en-news
frontelligence.substack.com/p/silent-exodus-rising-desertions-in
united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/from-civilian-to-cannon-fodder-in-10-days-what-is-russias-military-training-15323
themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/30/we-have-our-own-gestapo-a-russian-military-deserter-recalls-his-time-inside-a-secret-jail-for-defectors-a88916
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/06/05/russians-turn-crowdfunding-ill-equipped-soldiers-ukraine
news.yahoo.com/likely-russia-10-years-rebuild-155157500.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-15/cia-says-ai-drones-give-russian-troops-only-30-minutes-to-live
youtube.com/watch?v=3rvdEw_Cd1M
united24media.com/latest-news/ukraines-bober-drones-hit-russias-pantsir-s1-radars-and-su-30-in-crimea-strike-video-9527
aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/9/10/how-ukraines-deepest-attack-in-russia-on-arctic-gas-signals-new-reach
nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russia-just-claimed-captured-another-city-eastern-ukraine-sa-071526
criticalthreats.org/analysis/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-1-2026
https://x.com/clement_molin/status/2097964403580600583
edition.cnn.com/2026/09/09/europe/ukraine-russia-latest-fortress-belt-intl
yahoo.com/news/articles/ukrainian-forces-small-russian-infiltration-131256065.html
meduza.io/feature/2026/04/13/vy-vse-millionery-vy-vse-trupy
kyivpost.com/post/73954
https://verstka.media/inside-the-execution-practices-of-the-russian-army
rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-deserters-odyssey-black-sea/33831096.html
dw.com/en/russian-deserters-struggle-to-win-asylum-in-germany-putin-war-in-ukraine-invasion/a-78020377
meduza.io/en/feature/2025/11/13/to-force-deserters-back-to-war-russia-s-military-is-torturing-their-families
Russia faces a growing desertion crisis, with an estimated 70,000 soldiers going AWOL in 2025 alone. Poor training, brutal tactics, and corrupt commanders drive troops to flee. Those caught face torture or execution in secret detention sites. Meanwhile, Ukraine's drone superiority means Russian soldiers survive just thirty minutes once spotted.
Sources
youtube.com/watch?v=mWP5hCZDeks
youtube.com/shorts/lbDtyn6V_II
meduza.io/en/feature/2026/07/11/many-russian-soldiers-would-rather-do-time-than-die-at-the-front-but-the-military-is-increasingly-hauling-them-back-to-the-war-anyway
https://novayagazeta.eu/en/articles/2025/09/23/un-report-finds-that-over-50000-russian-soldiers-have-deserted-since-2022-en-news
frontelligence.substack.com/p/silent-exodus-rising-desertions-in
united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/from-civilian-to-cannon-fodder-in-10-days-what-is-russias-military-training-15323
themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/30/we-have-our-own-gestapo-a-russian-military-deserter-recalls-his-time-inside-a-secret-jail-for-defectors-a88916
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/06/05/russians-turn-crowdfunding-ill-equipped-soldiers-ukraine
news.yahoo.com/likely-russia-10-years-rebuild-155157500.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-15/cia-says-ai-drones-give-russian-troops-only-30-minutes-to-live
youtube.com/watch?v=3rvdEw_Cd1M
united24media.com/latest-news/ukraines-bober-drones-hit-russias-pantsir-s1-radars-and-su-30-in-crimea-strike-video-9527
aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/9/10/how-ukraines-deepest-attack-in-russia-on-arctic-gas-signals-new-reach
nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russia-just-claimed-captured-another-city-eastern-ukraine-sa-071526
criticalthreats.org/analysis/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-1-2026
https://x.com/clement_molin/status/2097964403580600583
edition.cnn.com/2026/09/09/europe/ukraine-russia-latest-fortress-belt-intl
yahoo.com/news/articles/ukrainian-forces-small-russian-infiltration-131256065.html
meduza.io/feature/2026/04/13/vy-vse-millionery-vy-vse-trupy
kyivpost.com/post/73954
https://verstka.media/inside-the-execution-practices-of-the-russian-army
rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-deserters-odyssey-black-sea/33831096.html
dw.com/en/russian-deserters-struggle-to-win-asylum-in-germany-putin-war-in-ukraine-invasion/a-78020377
meduza.io/en/feature/2025/11/13/to-force-deserters-back-to-war-russia-s-military-is-torturing-their-families










