At least 60 Russian paratroopers have reportedly staged a riot and refused to fight in Ukraine. The “elite unit” came from a main air base in Pskov, in northern Russia. When they refused to fight, the troops were meant to be withdrawn to Belarus, from where they were then sent back to Pskov in shame. Most of the unit has been fired, while others are facing criminal charges, Pskovskaya Guberniya, an independent newspaper in Pskov, said. Those facing criminal prosecution will be subject to the Russian military tribunal and will most likely be sentenced to prison. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has reportedly sent one of his deputies to Pskov to deal with the disobedience. Ukraine has claimed that about 60 soldiers were selected paratroopers, but this has not been independently verified. The troops, however, are believed to have originated in Pskov, a key base for one of Russia’s most elite airborne units. There have been several reports of low morale among Russian forces (Image: EPA) Sergei Sugi (left) reportedly sent one of his deputies to confront the rebel troops (Image: Kremlin.ru/east2west news) The Pskovskaya Guberniya reported: “About 60 Pskov soldiers refused to go to war on Ukrainian soil, according to our sources. “After the first days of the war, they were first brought to the Republic of Belarus and then returned to their base in Pskov. “Most of them are currently being fired, but some are being threatened with criminal charges.” The insurgency is the latest in many cases in which Russian troops have refused to obey Vladimir Putin’s orders to invade Ukraine. Vladimir Safronov, a 23-year-old former Russian prisoner of war in Pskov, told Ukrainian investigators about problems with his diet and how his officers were looting civilians’ homes. Where Russia has been in control of Ukraine since April 5 (Image: Metro Graphics) Burnt Russian tanks have become a common sight on the streets of Ukraine (Image: Reuters) “Things are bad with food, we save it all the time,” he said. “Very often we have a situation where a portion for one person is divided among two people. “We mainly eat what we find inside [civilian] houses [in occupied Ukraine]. “There is a lot of looting, I have seen it personally,” he said. “I do not support it, it was mainly senior sergeants and the commander who did it. “I saw civilians hiding, people who could not evacuate, who lived in constant fear. “I felt very sorry for them, it was scary to find them.” Pskov captive paratrooper Vladimir Safronov, 23, spoke to the Ukrainian media about his experiences (Image: 1 + 1 Ukraine) In March, a Russian commander was killed by his own troops who ran after him with a tank. Colonel Medvechek, who commands Russia’s 37th Motorized Rifle Brigade, is believed to have been deliberately cut because of the number of casualties suffered by his unit. The incident came after reports of select OMON special forces from Hakasia who refused to take weapons and troops from the unofficial state of South Ossetia reportedly returned to their homes on foot after refusing to fight. Contact our news team by emailing us at [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
