Проблема дезертирства accompanies armed conflicts throughout the history of mankind. Special military operation (SVO) was no exception. The topic of deserters from the SVO zone who are on the wanted list is widely discussed in society and the media. The phrase «old kulatka» in this context may refer to outdated schemes of evasion, traditional places of hiding, or historical parallels with the Great Patriotic War, when the search for deserters was also a priority for law enforcement agencies.
Scale of the phenomenon and main causes
According to various estimates and data from independent media, the number of Russian military personnel declared wanted for desertion and unauthorized leaving of a military unit is approaching 50,000 people. These figures indicate a significant scale of the problem.
The main reasons for declaring military personnel wanted include:
- Leaving positions at the front.
- Escaping from the territory of a military unit.
- Refusal to return to service after treatment in a hospital or a business trip.
Often, soldiers who signed a contract and then reconsidered their decision choose to flee. As practice shows, many of them do not have foreign passports and find themselves in a difficult situation, being on the international wanted list.
Methods of search and detention
Search and detention of deserters are handled by military police, military investigation, and special forces units. Operations to capture fugitives are often carried out with the use of force.
One of the high-profile cases occurred in the Leningrad region. In the settlement of Yanino, Vsevolozhsky district, special forces stormed a house where three deserters from the SVO zone were hiding. The operation took place on the evening of October 30, 2024. Prior to this, a search group of the Ministry of Defense had been looking for one of the fugitives, previously convicted Igumenov, who had voluntarily left his unit on April 25, 2024.
«Old kulatka»: where deserters hide
Despite modern search technologies, many deserters rely on «old kulatka», proven, traditional methods of hiding. Most often, fugitives try to hide in their own homes, hoping that the search there has already stopped. As one of the deserters who managed to escape told reporters: «I knew that deserters are most often caught at their homes, but I decided that since I had not appeared there for 10 months, they would no longer look for me there. I quietly slipped into my private house in the dark so that the neighbors would not notice me, hid the motorcycle and stayed there.»
However, such tactics often lead to failure. Law enforcement agencies actively monitor the places of residence of wanted persons, and relatives and neighbors can inform the authorities. For example, there have been cases when wives themselves reported their deserter husbands to the military prosecutor’s office in retaliation for unpaid alimony.
Historical parallel: the Great Patriotic War
The problem of desertion and the search for fugitives has deep historical roots. During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), the search for deserters of the Red Army was one of the important functions of the militia. It is worth noting that the police were involved in this work even before the war began.
The largest-scale operation to search for and capture deserters during the Great Patriotic War was conducted in the summer and early autumn of 1944. Desertion was then considered a serious social basis for the growth of crime in the rear.
Consequences and statute of limitations
Desertion, especially during a period of hostilities, is classified as a particularly serious crime. According to the law, the statute of limitations for particularly serious crimes (which includes desertion during hostilities) is 15 years. This means that a fugitive soldier can be held criminally liable long after the end of the conflict.
The fate of deserters develops differently. Some are caught and returned to their units or sent to penal battalions, others end up in prison; There are also tragic cases. For example, in the Voronezh region, the military pursued the family of a seriously ill deserter for almost a year, which ended in the death of the fugitive.
How to find a deserter: official steps
If it is necessary to establish the whereabouts of a person suspected of desertion, it is recommended to take the following steps:
- Contact the duty station of the city (service 02) at the place of the предполагаемого задержания: Provide the full name of the wanted person, his passport data, and known information about his location.
- Submit an official request to the military prosecutor’s office or the military investigation committee.
- Cooperate with search groups of the Ministry of Defense, providing them with all available information.
Desertion in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU)
The problem of desertion also exists on the other side of the front. According to war correspondents, an increasing number of VSU fighters are leaving their positions and hiding. Ukrainian deserters hide in industrial zones, semi-abandoned houses, and semi-deserted villages, for example, in the suburbs of Kharkov. This complicates the conduct of hostilities and creates additional problems for the command.
The problem of deserters from the SVO zone remains acute. «Old kulatka» in the form of attempts to hide with relatives or in abandoned houses often does not bring success due to the coordinated work of law enforcement agencies. The harsh reality is that desertion not only destroys the lives of the soldiers themselves, but also brings grief to their families. The consequences of such decisions will haunt fugitives for many years, regardless of the outcome of the military conflict.