Desertion and refusal to fight have been persistent challenges for militaries throughout history, particularly during prolonged and unpopular conflicts.
In Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, these issues have reached unprecedented levels, according to Digi24, showing the strains within the armed forces and the consequences for those who defy military orders.
Record-Breaking Prosecution Rates
In 2024, the Russian military dramatically increased its prosecution of soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine, doubling the number of such cases from the previous year.
According to data compiled by independent outlet Mediazona, military courts processed 10,308 cases of refusal to serve on the front lines in 2024, compared to 5,517 in 2023.
Since the war began, nearly 16,000 criminal cases related to military service have been brought before Russian courts.
The most common charge is desertion, with 14,182 cases filed and 12,460 sentences issued. Under Russian law, desertion can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
However, many soldiers receive suspended sentences, allowing them to be sent back to the battlefield. Lesser charges, such as disobedience, accounted for 1,037 cases, with 975 resulting in convictions.
These charges often result in sentences of two to three years in prison.
Regions with higher rates of disobedience cases include Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Primorsky, Zabaikalsky Krai in the east, and Kaliningrad in the west.
In many of these cases, soldiers outright refused deployment to the front lines.
July 2024 marked a peak in military prosecutions, with investigators transferring nearly 1,100 cases to courts in a single month.
The same month saw courts delivering verdicts at a rapid pace, issuing around 900 decisions—an average of 39 to 41 rulings per workday.
Despite a brief slowdown in August and September, the caseload surged again in October, with over 1,000 new cases.
By the end of 2024, Russian military courts had convicted 13,897 soldiers for offenses against military service. In rare cases, courts dismissed charges, transferred jurisdiction, or returned cases to prosecutors.
