Russia has recently been in distress on many front sections. In order not to have to give up more areas, the Russian military could resort to harsh means, according to British secret services: Blocking troops may have been set up to stop deserters – and even shoot them.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, citing secret service findings, Russia is said to have deployed parts of its troops to stop and even shoot deserters. “Due to low morale and unwillingness to fight, the Russian armed forces have probably started deploying ‘blockade troops’ or ‘blockade units,'” the ministry’s daily update on the Ukraine War reads.
According to the experts, their task is to stop soldiers who want to retreat or even desert. They should initially only be threatened to prevent them from fleeing. If they continued to refuse to fight, they could be shot. Russian armed forces have already resorted to this method in previous conflicts, it is said.
According to the British, Russian generals are determined to maintain the defensive positions to the death. This analysis should be viewed against the background of the hasty retreat of Russian troops in the Kharkiv region in north-eastern Ukraine. Within a few days, the army gave up a large territory that it had previously conquered in months.
According to the British Ministry, the tactic of shooting deserters is probably a testament to the poor quality, low morale and indiscipline of the Russian armed forces. So far, there have been no independent reports about the shooting of deserting soldiers. Russia has long accused the British of deliberately spreading false information.
However, suspected Russian fighters reported on social media that they were retreating and abandoning positions due to heavy shelling from Ukrainian troops. Generals would have pressured them to return to the front sections. Some of the soldiers who refused were taken to the hinterland and locked in cellars.
