Escape to Crimea: 40 Soldiers in Russian Platoon Abandoned Frontline, Ukraine Claims

The Crimean peninsula is a vacation getaway for some Russians. It also may be a getaway point for Russian soldiers battling Ukraine.

Knewz.com has learned about a platoon of troops which Ukraine claims tried to run away from the front lines with their weapons.

A Russian soldier watches a wheat field burn after shelling in southeast Ukraine. By: MEGA

A spokesman for Ukraine’s military told Espreso TV on Wednesday, January 10 that nearly 40 members of the Russian army bailed out “recently.”

Oleksandr Shtupun described what happened: the “invaders… left their trenches and tried to flee toward Crimea, while remaining armed.”

A street along the Black Sea in Yalta, Crimea in 2014. By: MEGA

Shtupun was short on details, but he indicated the missing soldiers “were being hunted down in an attempt to bring them back” to the Russian army. There is no independent confirmation of Shtupun’s statements.

He added that 30 Russian soldiers surrendered to Ukraine in a four-day span.

Business Insider noted Ukraine has an “I Want to Live” hotline which Russian military personnel can call to give themselves up. The Ukrainian government claims more than 220 Russians have used it.

Shtupun, who represents Ukrainian fighters in the southeast, said cold January weather is causing more Russian fighters to desert their duties.

The Weather Channel recorded a high of 28 degrees Fahrenheit in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Thursday, January 11. But the forecast calls for several inches of snow within 48 hours.

Shtupun added that Russian superiors are threatening soldiers with punishment and even deadly shootings if they show resistance.

Russian soldiers who resist in battle reportedly could be shot on the spot. By: MEGA

“This is how they stimulate invaders to execute assault missions,” Shtupun said. “They put pressure on them both mentally and physically.”

Knewz.com reported in November 2023 on “punishment pits” for Russian soldiers who resist. More recently, Knewz.com cited Ukrainian video claiming to show other soldiers killing themselves during battle.

Yet Russia reportedly is throwing large numbers of people into the “special military operation.”

Ukraine’s deputy intelligence director told a podcast that Russia now has 462,000 soldiers inside Ukraine.

By comparison, no more than 120,000 soldiers were sent to Afghanistan by the old Soviet Union.

While there may be deserters, The New Voice of Ukraine quoted Vadym Skibitskyi as saying the Russian units are at 92% staffing or higher. They include 35,000 members of the Russian National Guard.

Vadym Skibitskyi is Ukraine’s deputy intelligence director. By: MEGA

Skibitskyi also told the podcast by the Ukrainian version of Pravda that Russia’s military is so focused on Ukraine that other European countries currently are not in danger of a ground attack.

“They have redeployed air defense units from the Far East, from the north and from the northern regions in order to strengthen their air defense in Crimea and to strengthen their positions along the border with our country,” Skibitskyi explained.

That leaves Russia without the personnel to fight on a second front, he said.

The Ukraine General Staff estimates the attack on Ukraine has cost Russia more than 366,000 soldiers.

As Skibitskyi put it, Russia “has no one left to fight.”