After three years of relentless warfare, growing disillusionment among Russian troops has reached a breaking point. Reports of mass desertions—including entire regiments abandoning their posts—paint a stark picture of collapsing morale in Putin’s army.
The Kremlin initially promised a swift victory, anticipating a rapid takeover of Ukraine’s Donbas region and the encirclement of Kyiv. Instead, Russian forces encountered fierce resistance from Ukrainians under President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership. Now, both nations are exhausted, their populations weary of a war with no end in sight.
According to *Newsweek*, over 1,000 soldiers from Russia’s 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division, based in Volgograd, recently deserted. While the figure is striking, some sources suggest the true scale of defections is far higher, with up to 18,000 Russian troops reportedly fleeing their positions by mid-2024.
For Ukraine, this war is a fight for survival, but for Russia, the so-called "special military operation" has lost much of its initial justification. Despite Putin’s historically strong approval ratings, discontent is growing as casualties mount and the conflict drags on.
Exact Russian death tolls remain obscured, but Ukrainian estimates cited by *Newsweek* place total losses—killed and wounded—above 720,000. By late December 2024, Ukraine’s General Staff reported Russian casualties had surged to 782,510.
*The New York Times Magazine* noted in September that tracking desertions is difficult, as Russian commanders often conceal troop disobedience to avoid repercussions. Meanwhile, deserters who escape abroad tend to avoid publicity, fearing retaliation.
These developments signal a deepening crisis within Russia’s military. As discipline erodes and soldiers reject Putin’s war, the Kremlin faces not just a battlefield stalemate, but an internal unraveling.
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