Some Russian servicemen seeking help to avoid Ukraine war, lawyers say
- About 200 people had contacted him for legal advice, one lawyer says, after 12 National Guard members were fired for refusing to cross the border
- Russia’s forces are said to be suffering from severely low morale as the invasion faces fierce Ukrainian resistance
Several Russian servicemen are seeking legal help to avoid being sent to fight in the war in Ukraine, two lawyers said, after 12 members of Russia’s National Guard were fired for refusing to go. Lawyer Mikhail Benyash said around 200 people had been in contact to ask what they should do in a similar situation.
Pavel Chikov, another Russia-based lawyer, wrote on Telegram that there were “analogous stories from Crimea, Novgorod, Omsk, Stavropol … The workers are appealing for legal help”.
Reuters could not independently confirm the rush for legal help. The National Guard did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.
Ukraine and Western officials have said that Russia’s forces are suffering from severely low morale in what Moscow calls its special operation to disarm and “denazify” its neighbour. The West has cast it as a poorly executed, imperial-style land grab.
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In five weeks, Moscow has failed to capture any major cities and on Tuesday said it would sharply reduce operations near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv, although on Wednesday attacks on Chernihiv continued.