Cross-posted from: https://feddit.de/post/10209741

Figures from Russian outlet Proekt, which are based on court records, illustrate a huge spike in Russian troops looking for a way out of the war.

It said that in 2023, 4,373 Russians were convicted for the unauthorized abandonment of their unit—a five-fold increase from the 887 cases the previous year. This was also an almost nine-fold increase on the 527 cases recorded in 2021, the year before the war.

Meanwhile, 289 Russian soldiers were last year charged with failing to comply with orders. Before 2023, such a charge was rare, with only nine cases in the previous five years combined. Also in 2023, 129 people were tried for “desertion,” while 31 were accused of feigning illness and other methods of evading service.