Putin Army Accused Of Falsifying Records On Soldiers

Vladimir Putin’s army is falsely recording dead soldiers as absent without leave (AWOL), according to a pro-Ukraine group which spies on Russia.

The Russian Armed Forces are allegedly registering hundreds of troops as fugitives even though they have been killed in action.

The claims come from Atesh, a partisan movement which claims to be embedded in a Russian Brigade.

In a report shared on Telegram, the underground group alleges that soldiers have been told recording an individual as AWOL “is easier than explaining to relatives where the body is.”

But this technique has eroded trust among the army ranks, according to the report.

“Soldiers understand that at any moment they can be ‘written off’ as deserters, even if they died in battle. They causes fear, aggression, and a rapid decline in morale,” Atesh said.

“Discipline is broken, command is not trusted and combat capability deteriorates with each new assault.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become a war of attrition with large-scale losses throughout the almost four-year conflict.

The Kremlin rarely shares details about its casualties, but in October this year UK intelligence from the Ministry of Defence estimated that Russia had endured more than a million losses since the war began.

Atesh also suggested the number of casualties has accumulated amid Russia’s latest push to seize the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.

Putin claims Russia has taken the area completely and Moscow released a video at the start of the month, showing soldiers raising a flag over the town centre.

However, Ukrainian troops say Russians only have a clear foothold in the south.

“Attempts by the occupiers to create propaganda illustrations that they supposedly control the city are leading to significant losses of their personnel,” the Ukrainian military said.

This update from Atesh comes after Russia’s lukewarm response to the latest peace proposals from the US and Europe.

Moscow has largely held onto its maximalist goals over the last four years, and wants as much Ukrainian land as possible – while also de-militarising the neighbouring country.

But Putin’s grinding war effort has only seen him seize a fifth of Ukrainian land so far – and lose huge numbers of soldiers in exchange.