In the city of Voznesensk, Mykolaiv Oblast, a protest was held by about a hundred servicemen of the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade, who voluntarily left the military unit in Donetsk region, refusing to perform combat missions. The protesters said that the reason for their refusal was insufficient weapons and lack of proper training. About this informs “Mykolaiv Society”.
During the protest, the platoon commander named Serhiy noted that his unit did not have enough weapons to participate in combat operations in Donbas. According to him, numerous requests to obtain the necessary weapons, including machine guns, remained unanswered.
“We asked to provide PCMs, but we were told that they are not available. And then there is Donbas, and what should we do?”, – said Serhiy.
However, Oleksandr Puhalskyi, head of the Department of Moral and Psychological Support of the TrO Forces, who was present at the rally, denied these statements. He claims that the unit is fully equipped with weapons and military equipment. Puhalskyi also reminded that voluntary desertion is a serious violation that entails criminal liability if the serviceman does not return to the unit within three days.
“If a serviceman does not return to the unit within three days, this is subject to disciplinary responsibility. After that, on the fourth day, signs of a criminal offense can already be seen in the actions of the servicemen.”, — noted Puhalskyi.
A representative of the Military Law and Order Service, who was also present at the meeting with the protesters, declined to comment. Neither the 123rd brigade nor the regional administration of the Territorial Defense Forces “South” publicly commented on the situation.
At the same time, the Verkhovna Rada is working on a draft law that may provide for full exemption from criminal liability for those soldiers who voluntarily return to their units after voluntary desertion. According to Fedor Venislavskyi, a member of the parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence, this draft law will be registered in the near future.
