Russian deserter reveals grim reality of army life in Ukraine war
"We are fucking orcs!" These were the exact words Anton heard from his commanders when he decided to desert from the Russian army to the West earlier this year. He points out what made him flee.
11:37 AM EDT, July 3, 2024
The war in Ukraine has been going on for two and a half years now. During this time, even hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both sides have died on the front lines. There is particularly a lot of talk about Russian losses, which have grown tremendously in recent days, such as due to Vovchansk.
This state of affairs is confirmed not only by foreign intelligence but also by Russian soldiers themselves, who are increasingly appealing to the authorities for rescue. However, as former Putin army soldier Anton told Verstka journalists, no one in Russia's command cares about human life.
There are plenty of machine guns, but getting something heavier is a difficult task. The commander once spoke frankly about it: "I don't care about you—they'll send me as many as I need. But if we lose equipment, we'll get hit hard and there will be tons of paperwork." And it's consistent with everything else; in the assault units, the casualty rate reaches 90 percent—Anton told Verstka in an interview, cited by Meduza.io.
Drunkenness, corruption, and huge losses due to bad decisions
In the conversation with the portal, Anton emphasizes that the Russian army was lacking in professionalism from the very beginning. He particularly underscores the equipment that goes to the recruits. To get it completely, you must pay a special bribe. Additionally, his memories feature significant drunkenness.
Once, our command got drunk and mumbled: 'We are fucking orcs!' And we really are fucking orcs. It's disappointing. The command usually doesn't admit it, and these moments of honesty usually occur when they drink. My time in the army destroyed my outlook on life. I no longer have any positive feelings about Russian statehood. This is not a war; it's just agony. The only similarity that comes to mind is World War I. They just send you to the slaughter—Anton says.
Anton does not hide that he went through hell in the Russian army. After just two months, only 40 soldiers were left from his unit, which numbered 600 people. These losses encouraged him to escape, which, by hitchhiking, led through Minsk, Yerevan, and finally to the European Union.
Almost everyone who was on the front line thinks about escaping. If you are very careful, escaping from the army is entirely doable. Leave the field camp, take off your uniform, and change into civilian clothes. The most important thing is to have some form of identification other than military documents—Anton summarizes his escape.
