According to Russian opposition media, more than 150 Russian soldiers who refused to fight against Ukraine were forcibly detained in a tent camp in Yekaterinburg. According to the soldiers' relatives, a riot broke out there at first, and in the morning the men disappeared from contact.
Points of attention
- The event sheds light on the challenges the Russian military faces in maintaining unity and morale among its ranks amidst conflicting views on the ongoing war.
- The disappearance of the soldiers from contact following the failed attempt to send them to Rostov-on-Don raises questions about their current status and the resolution of the situation.
What is known about the mutiny of Russian soldiers in Yekaterinburg
On February 28, more than 150 Russian soldiers from the military commandant's office of the Chelyabinsk region, who refused to fight for various reasons, were forcibly put on buses and taken to Yekaterinburg.
After that, the military was placed in a tent camp 20 kilometers from Koltsovo airport.
The men demanded to be given the opportunity to write a report about their refusal to continue service and tried to call investigators to the scene.
However, they tried to force them onto a plane to be sent to Rostov and then to Ukraine, but the military staged a mutiny.
They just want to send us to Ukraine now — to death. We ask that they convict us, but no one gives us such an opportunity. We ask for support, we don’t want to just die. Some have children, we have disabled people here, everyone is wounded, sick. This is arbitrariness, — the servicemen said in a video recorded on the evening of February 28.
On February 28 at 11:00 p.m. Ekaterinburg, the men were unable to board the scheduled flight to Rostov-on-Don, and on the morning of March 1, they disappeared from contact.
