Many Russian soldiers would rather do time than die at the front, but the military is increasingly hauling them back to the war anyway

Growing numbers of Russian soldiers are choosing prison over the front line, Meduza reports. The outlet says that as of May twenty twenty-five, more than twenty-eight thousand Russians had been convicted of going absent without leave, driven by a simple refusal to fight. In late June, authorities in the Belgorod region declared thirteen people wanted after they fled almost simultaneously. These deserters, nicknamed sochintsy after the Russian abbreviation for unauthorized absence, are frequently caught, and Meduza notes that their relatives can be put at risk during the roundups. A prison sentence at least guarantees discharge from service, but in recent years, the military has increasingly hauled detainees back to the war instead.

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