Over 1,000 Troops Have Deserted Russia's 20th Guards Motor Rifle Div in Ukraine

Desertions from Russia's combat-deployed units in Ukraine are known to be rife, but 1,000 is an unusually large number, suggesting that the desertion and AWOL statistics may be even greater than believed. 

It is especially noteworthy that the 20th Motor Rifle carries the honored "Guards" designation, which usually means it is considered an elite unit with a history of strong performance. JL

Novaya Gazeta reports:

Over 1,000 Russian soldiers have deserted the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division. 858 professional soldiers, 150 soldiers drafted during the mass mobilisation effort in September 2022, and two conscripts have abandoned the unit, bringing the total number to have deserted since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to 1,010. The 20th Division was deployed to Ukraine’s southern Kherson region in the first days of the war. Many servicemen went AWOL in the early days of the war when they realised it would last “longer than two weeks”, as their commanding officers initially promised.

Over 1,000 Russian soldiers have deserted a division based in the country’s southern Volgograd region and currently deployed in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, independent news outlet IStories revealed on Tuesday.

IStories cited a document that the command of the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division, a formation within the Russian Ground Forces, sent to Russian regional authorities in the spring of 2024.

The document lists a total of 858 professional soldiers, 150 soldiers drafted during the mass mobilisation effort in September 2022, and two conscripts, all of whom have abandoned their unit, bringing the total number to have abandoned the division since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to 1,010.

While the Russian authorities do not officially disclose the number of soldiers who have deserted the frontlines or abandoned their unit, this document suggests that the real scale of desertions among Russian soldiers could be very high, IStories wrote. “Over 1,000 men have abandoned just one division, while there are at least two dozen divisions involved in the war against Ukraine,” the outlet said.

The 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division was deployed to Ukraine’s southern Kherson region in the first days of the war, IStories reported, citing a soldier who said many servicemen had gone AWOL in the early days of the war when they realised it would last “longer than two weeks”, as their commanding officers initially promised.

In the first six months of the invasion, professional soldiers could terminate their contract with the Russian Defence Ministry, but were often coerced or threatened into continuing their service, IStories said. All contracts signed with the Russian Defence Ministry since September 2022 have been open-ended.