Photo: EPA / Scanpix / Leta "Do you even understand that we are fascists?" Why do Russian military refuse to fight in Ukraine and how Russia is trying to return them to the front By July, four months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it became clear that the Russian military massively refused to continue participating in the war. The publication "Village" calculated that during this time almost 1800 Russian military refused to fight.

From late February to early April, the village of Andriivka northwest of Kyiv was controlled by the Russian military. When the Russians retreated, they left hundreds of destroyed and looted houses, over a dozen bodies — and 25 photographs on a smartphone they had taken from a local.

By July 2022, four months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it had become clear that Russian soldiers were refusing en masse to continue participating in the war. According to estimates from Verstka , almost 1,800 Russian soldiers refused to fight during this period.

By July 2022, four months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it had become clear that Russian soldiers were refusing en masse to continue participating in the war. According to estimates from Verstka , almost 1,800 Russian soldiers refused to fight during this period.