Key points
- More than 20,000 Russian troops have deserted from the front lines in Ukraine, dealing a major blow to Putin's military campaign.
- The main problems in the occupation army are lack of training and leadership, as well as brutal management, which leads to systemic failure.
- Cases of cannibalism have been discovered in the Russian army, which indicates its critical condition and moral decline.
More than 20,000 Russian troops have deserted from the frontline in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed, in another major blow to Vladimir Putin's military campaign.
Thousands of soldiers who have voluntarily left their military units are a reflection of the real state of the Russian army. This was told to Channel 24 by retired British Army Colonel Gamish de Bretton-Gordon, who noted that the Russian army has always been known for its cruelty.
What are the 2 main problems in the occupation army?
Previously, Russia emptied prisons to send prisoners to the front lines. They went willingly, because they were promised a pardon. Now prisoners are offered nothing, only ordered to fight to the end.
The fact that so many soldiers are going to the SZCh is explained by two main reasons: lack of training and lack of leadership, – noted Gemiš de Bretton-Gordon.
In terms of training, people undergo minimal training before being sent to the front: a week or two, no more. A significant portion of them don't even know how to clean their own guns. After a few days of shooting, the barrel gets clogged and stops working. If you don't know how to clean a gun, it simply becomes useless.
Secondly, the leadership in the Russian army has always been cruel. There is a culture of bullying, in which human life ceases to mean anything. With such a philosophy, the army will not survive for long.
In the British army, officers go in front and soldiers follow. In the Russian army, it's the other way around: officers and sergeants stay behind and those who stand still or run away are shot, added the retired British army colonel.
20,000 deserters are just the tip of the iceberg. Many were obviously killed before they could escape. Such cruelty breeds corruption, because the officers are essentially exploiting the soldiers as slaves. While the soldiers sell everything from ammunition to food to earn some money.
You would think that after a million casualties, Russians would take to the streets of Moscow or St. Petersburg demanding an end to the war. But now in Russia, soldiers are increasingly viewed as mercenaries. They earn a lot of money by Russian standards, while a significant number of Russians barely have enough money for food.
In conclusion, mass desertion is evidence of a systemic problem and failure of the entire structure of the Russian army. And now, when Ukrainian forces have begun to destroy strategic targets, it is becoming obvious that the Russian army is in an extremely dismal state, concluded Gamish de Bretton-Gordon.
But Putin doesn't care. He is ready to continue throwing people into the “meat grinder” to continue the war. This is no longer just a tragedy, these are crimes against humanity for which he must be punished.
There is evidence of cannibalism in the Russian army
An intercepted conversation revealed more evidence of cannibalism in the occupation army. It is known that a Russian soldier received 25 years in prison for this crime. Other details remain unknown, but the fact itself testifies to the state of the Russian army. They have to recruit such personnel as well.
I myself served for 35 years on very different fronts around the world, and I know for sure that in order to fight, to lead people, you need a strong moral core. If your army has bandits, murderers and even cannibals, this is a direct path to disintegration, – emphasized Gamish de Bretton-Gordon.
I would like to believe that people all over Russia have begun to understand what is being done in their name. That they will rise up and try to put an end to this terrible war, but for now this is highly questionable.
Note that Russia has decided not to publish birth and death data. This information is now secret and can only be obtained in response to a request. This was reported by demographer Alexei Raksha, whom Russians immediately recognized as a “foreign agent.”
