Yuri Kobzar15:55, 05/19/23

Surrendering without injury can result in up to 10 years in prison.

Russian soldiers will be imprisoned for surrendering without serious injury. Such clarifications for the Russian courts were approved by the plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation .

Thus, a Russian soldier will be considered a criminal if he surrenders voluntarily – “consciously, if possible, to resist the enemy decisively and avoid being captured.”

The only option when the Russian state will not consider its soldier captured as a criminal is if he was “incapable of evading captivity due to his physical condition.”

“For example, finding a serviceman in a helpless state, including as a result of a severe wound or shell shock,” the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation said in an explanation.

It is also indicated that the Russian soldier is obliged to “provide resolute resistance to the enemy,” even while in complete encirclement. 

Putin forbade Russians to surrender

In September last year, Russia passed a law that prohibits “voluntary” surrender. For this, Russian soldiers face up to 10 years in prison. The same large lines are provided for ignoring subpoenas, desertion and refusal to participate in the war.

At the same time, prison is clearly not the worst thing that threatens Russian soldiers for being captured. Last November, Wagner militants defiantly bludgeoned Yevgeny Nuzhin, a former Russian prisoner who was recruited for the war, was captured by the Ukrainians and was extradited back on an exchange.

(C)UNIAN 2023