Many Colleagues Died Because of This

MOSCOW, KOMPAS.com – Multiple soldiers Russia refuse to fight on Ukraine again because of the experience they had on the front lines at the start Russian invasion of Ukraineaccording to Russian lawyers and human rights activists.

“I don’t want (to return to Ukraine) to kill and be killed,” Sergey, who fought five weeks in Ukraine earlier this year, told reporters. BBC reported on Friday (3/6/2022).

Sergey, not his real name, received legal assistance not to be deployed again to the front lines. He is one of hundreds soldier Russia is known to receive the aid.

Sergey said he was traumatized by his experience in Ukraine.

Read also: 100 Days of the Russo-Ukrainian War: A Look at War Losses on Both Sides

No basic equipment

“I thought we, the Russian military, were the greatest in the world,” he said bitterly.

The reality on the ground is much different. The Russian soldiers were deployed without basic equipment, such as a device for seeing in the dark, Sergey said.

“We were like blind cats. I was shocked by the state of our military. It didn’t cost a fortune to equip us. Why wasn’t that done?” he complained.

Sergey joins the Russian armed forces through conscription—most Russian men aged 18-27 must serve at least one year of military service.

However, after a few months, he decided to sign a professional contract for two years so that he received a salary as a soldier.

In January, Sergey was sent to near the Ukrainian border. The order he got was military training.

–
–