A letter from the division's command asking for help in finding them was received by the authorities of several Russian regions in the spring of 2024.
“More than a thousand people fled from one division alone, and in general, at least two dozen divisions are involved in the war against Ukraine (the exact data is classified),” the journalists wrote.
The document provides dates of birth, ranks, and other data of 858 contract soldiers, 150 mobilized soldiers, and two conscripts. Among them are 26 junior officers, one major, and two lieutenant colonels.
It "shows the true scale of desertion from the Russian army during the war" against Ukraine.
Many of these soldiers do not try to hide and instead return to live at their place of residence.
On Nov. 18, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Russia loses as many soldiers every ten days as the USSR lost in ten years of war in Afghanistan.