Russia deploys “barrier troops” to stop the rush of deserters during the winter

This week the middle Novaya Gazeta I affirm that one in five One of those men recently called up had been killed in combat. That is only counting the deaths officially confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense, so the number could be higher.

These figures are a reflection of the poor preparation of inexperienced soldiers who have only received military training express. However, they also talk about the lack of motivation of hundreds of thousands of young people forced to go to the front in increasingly worse conditions. That is why, perhaps, many are trying to escape from the battlefield.

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That is, at least, what the UK Ministry of Defense suggests, which in its daily report indicates that Moscow is threatening to shoot their own men if they try to desert.

“Recently, Russian generals probably wanted their commanders to use weapons against deserters, including the possibility of authorizing shooting to kill said deserters after giving a warning. Generals also probably wanted to hold defensive positions to the death,” he details in the notice.

For this, the Kremlin would have deployed “barrier troops”also known as “unlock units”who are tasked with shooting at their own retreating soldiers.

These are the same detachments used during Soviet times. In the First and Second World Wars, each division of the Red Army It should have a detachment in charge of stopping the setbacks.

“Low default and indiscipline”

“The tactic of shooting deserters likely testifies to the low morale and indiscipline of the Russian forces,” British intelligence said. The poor conditions to which the military are subjected at the front have a lot to do with this state of mind.

In October, the UK intelligence services already advanced that reservists were being sent to war with little equipment. Some recruits were even forced to buy their own flak jackets, while others were given mid-century rifles.

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Problems in the supply of critical Russian military equipment are becoming more pronounced. But it is not only about that: according to the Institute for the Study of War, evidence has been found that the personnel mobilized in some regions “are sick, hungry and sleeping on the streets”. Harsh conditions that could get worse with the arrival of winterwhen temperatures sink to -30ºC.