The eastern Donbas region of Ukraine has seen most of the fighting since Russia launched its invasion

KEY POINTS

  • Russian soldiers are allegedly faking light wounds to escape the war
  • Russian soldiers reportedly shot themselves in the legs with Ukrainian ammunition 
  • Some high-ranking Russian commanders have also fled the battlefield

Russian soldiers currently deployed in the war in Ukraine are reportedly faking injuries or resorting to self-harm to escape the battlefield.

The situation among the Russian military's demoralized troops was revealed in a report published on Facebook by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF).

"Russian occupiers suffer losses, are demoralized and look for any opportunity to avoid hostilities - they try to fake a light wound, resort to self-mutilation and various simulations. There is an increase in cases of sabotage of officers' orders, especially when it concerns offensive actions," the report read.

The UAF General Staff's Wednesday post is the latest report about Russian soldiers resorting to self-harming to escape the war. In March, just weeks after the invasion began, Russian soldiers sent to the frontlines reportedly began shooting themselves in the legs with Ukrainian ammunition to make it appear they sustained injuries in the war.

In July, the father of a Russian soldier urged his son to break his arm or leg so he could be dismissed from service.

"You wrap a towel or some rag around your arm. Make it wet. Go to a corner and f**king hit the corner with your arm. It hurts less when it's wrapped. And the bones break," the parent told the soldier in an intercepted phone call. "You'll say that you tripped and f**king leaned on your hand, something cracked and you can't do anything."

Since the start of the invasion, there have also been reports of Russian soldiers and high-ranking commanders laying down their arms and fleeing the war amid increasing military losses. In a recording of an intercepted phone call released in June, a Russian soldier was heard complaining that their command suddenly fled, leaving their unit behind without any leading figure.

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The falling morale among Moscow's troops comes as the war stretches into its sixth month. As of Wednesday, it is estimated that the Russian army has lost 44,100 military personnel since the beginning of the war, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Ukraine has continued to make steady progress in reclaiming occupied territories in the south.

A ritual worker picks up the body of a killed Russian soldier before loading them to a refrigerated rail car, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, at a compound of a morgue in Kharkiv, Ukraine May 22, 2022.
A ritual worker picks up the body of a killed Russian soldier before loading them to a refrigerated rail car, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, at a compound of a morgue in Kharkiv, Ukraine May 22, 2022. Reuters / STRINGER