Entire Regiment of 1,000 Soldiers Deserts Russia’s 20th Division, Including Senior Officers

Over 1,000 soldiers from Russia's 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division, based in Volgograd, deserted during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to an investigation by Russian media Vazhnyie Istorii published on November 19.

Journalists obtained a list of the division’s deserters from an unnamed source.

The document, compiled no later than April 2024, was sent by the division’s command to regional authorities across Russia, requesting assistance in locating the missing soldiers.

The document contains the names, birthdates, and other details of 1,010 soldiers—equivalent to the size of an entire regiment. It includes 858 contract soldiers, 150 mobilized troops, and two conscripts, along with 26 junior officers, a major, and two lieutenant colonels. Journalists verified the list's authenticity by comparing it to a 2022 registry of the division’s personnel.

According to the investigation, the Russian Armed Forces have not disclosed the total number of deserters, but the list highlights “the significant scale of desertion during the war.”

Many deserters eventually returned to their unit voluntarily, some after committing crimes. One mobilized soldier, who fled the 20th division, shared that many of his acquaintances who had deserted avoided punishment upon returning. The soldier also plans to return to avoid being on the wanted list, saying, "Someone has to be there—there aren’t enough people," Vazhnyie Istorii reported.

Earlier, it was reported that The Russian State Duma  has passed a law in its second and third readings that allows for the cancellation of up to 10 million rubles (around $100 thousand) in credit debt for individuals who sign up to fight in the war against Ukraine.