Tracked down, coerced, threatened: How Russia hunts down deserters and forces them back to the front lines in Ukraine
Desertion from the Russian army is becoming increasingly widespread. A year and a half ago, Russia had opened around 8,000 cases against deserters. As of now, military garrison courts have issued at least 18,000 convictions — and the actual number of soldiers who have fled may be several times higher . As The Insider previously reported , escaping from the front is possible for those who are truly determined to do so, as confirmed by the deserters themselves.