Russia Russian felons flee from frontline deployment
A group of criminals who have swapped life in a prison camp for service in the Russian army have absconded during training. The nine men disappeared from the training ground in the southern Russian region of Belgorod.
29.07.2024, 17:03
SDA
This was reported by Russian media. The Telegram channel "Pepel" also published mugshots. A reward was also offered for information leading to the capture of the men. The search for the fugitives has so far been unsuccessful.
Men were in custody for murder, robbery or drug trafficking
The nine men had decided to serve in the Russian army during the war in Ukraine in order to complete their prison sentences. This is common practice in Russia. The offenders receive a pardon from Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin as a reward for volunteering to serve in the war. The wanted men were serving time for murder, robbery and drug trafficking, among other things.
The Ukrainian armed forces are now also using criminals to fight on the front line in order to compensate for their high losses. On the Russian side alone, it is estimated that tens of thousands of prisoners have been killed on the front line since the start of the war on February 24, 2022.
