“None of those who are now being sent to war after criminal mobilization will be able to explain: What is the point of this for him personally?”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Russians newly drafted to fight in Ukraine are increasingly opting to flee rather than engage in a war they view as unwinnable.
Zelensky made the remarks in a nationally televised speech on Monday, highlighting recent gains by Ukraine’s military as well as reported problems with Russia’s efforts to reinforce its invasion with fresh troops. The Ukrainian leader’s speech follows efforts by Kyiv to encourage drafted Russian soldiers to resist fighting after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization last month.
“Fierce fighting continues in many areas of the front,” Zelensky said. “But the perspective of these hostilities remains obvious—more and more occupiers are trying to escape, more and more losses are being inflicted on the enemy army, and there is a growing understanding that Russia made a mistake by starting a war against Ukraine.
