1/ Russian convicts are refusing en masse to join the army, according to the jailed Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin. In contrast to Yevgeny Prigozhin's recruitment campaigns in 2022-23, which attracted tens of thousands of recruits, distrust of the army is now said to be universal. ⬇️
2/ Girkin, who was jailed last year, is reportedly being held in the IK-5 penal colony in Kirovo-Chepetsk in the Kirov region. The facility specialises in holding ex-security officials (Girkin is ex-FSB). As such it might normally be expected to provide plenty of army recruits.
3/ The reality is very different though, according to Girkin. Interestingly, he says that the imprisonment of deserters is causing the wider prison population to become more aware of how the army treats its men and makes them more resistent to recruitment efforts:
4/ "Just today, we were once again visited by "recruiters" from the Ministry of Defence, BOLDLY LYING that they were recruiting "not for assault units," but for rear and support units.
5/ "Well, in our [prison] unit, NO ONE "recruited," and in other units, the situation is the same or close to that. In other words, even convicts in extremely dire circumstances DO NOT WANT to go to the Special Military Operation.
6/ "This is primarily due to the general ABSOLUTE DISTRUST OF THE 'AUTHORITIES,' who appeal to [convicts] through "recruiters."
7/ "We have plenty of 337s (Article 337 of the Criminal Code) [i.e. deserters] here, each of whom can talk a lot (and does) about how, how many times, etc., they and their comrades were deceived by the Ministry of Defence.
8/ "Not all of them, of course, but most of their stories (in my opinion and assessment) are entirely or partially credible.
9/ "A dismissive attitude toward soldiers as "renewable, cheap resources / meat" is a characteristic feature of command at almost all levels, from battalion commander and above.
10/ "At the same time, many are willing to go (and say they are ready to go) “when everyone else goes” in the event of mobilisation. And they are even ready to fight. But none of them wants to voluntarily go to the slaughter.
11/ "All the other factors cited by Kartavykh are also "present": the unclear goals of the war, the lousy (from the personal experience of those who fought, sometimes quite extensively) supplies, support, and weapons, the lack of equality in hardships and deprivations between…
12/ …the fighting "ordinary workers" and the children of officials living in luxury in the rear. And so on. And the demand for justice - that too is there.
13/ "But the complete distrust of the military authorities and the lack of understanding of the goals of the war (I heard many statements from soldiers about its "commercial nature" [i.e. for the personal profit of corrupt commanders] are key.
14/ "If there is no mobilisation (about which there are persistent rumors among convicts), then very soon (in fact, already now) there will be no one to replenish the existing army." /end
Source:
t.me/strelkovii/7217
Source:
t.me/strelkovii/7217
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