Over 1,000 soldiers from Russia's 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division, stationed in Volgograd, deserted during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to an investigation by Russian media outlet Vazhnyie Istorii published on November 19.
Journalists obtained a deserters' list from an unnamed source.
The document, compiled no later than April 2024, was sent by the division's command to regional authorities across Russia, asking for help locating the missing soldiers.
It lists 1,010 soldiers—equivalent to an entire regiment. The group includes 858 contract soldiers, 150 mobilized troops, two conscripts, 26 junior officers, a major, and two lieutenant colonels.
Journalists verified the list's authenticity by comparing it to a 2022 personnel registry for the division.
The investigation noted that the Russian Armed Forces have not revealed the total number of deserters but said the document highlights “the significant scale of desertion during the war.”
Many deserters later returned voluntarily, with some committing crimes in the interim.
One mobilized soldier, who fled the 20th division, said many deserters he knew avoided punishment after returning. He plans to return himself to avoid being placed on a wanted list, saying, "Someone has to be there—there aren’t enough people," Vazhnyie Istorii reported.
Earlier, the Russian State Duma passed a law allowing the cancellation of up to 10 million rubles (around $100,000) in credit debt for individuals who enlist to fight in the war against Ukraine.
