Russia’s war in Ukraine has left deep scars not only on the battlefields but also on the minds of those forced to fight. While the Kremlin projects an image of patriotic duty and sacrifice, a quieter but equally powerful story is unfolding beneath the surface: that of Russian soldiers who are running away. These men — conscripts, mobilised civilians, and contract fighters — have chosen the dangerous path of desertion, risking prison or worse in order to escape the war they never wanted to fight.
A recent Sky News documentary, The Russian Soldiers Fleeing Putin’s Army, sheds light on this hidden world. It chronicles the lives of deserters and the underground networks that help them flee, painting a harrowing picture of fear, disillusionment, and fragile hope.
From Patriotism to Disillusionment
For many soldiers, the journey into the army begins not with ideology but with obligation. Russia’s partial mobilisation, announced in September 2022, forced hundreds of thousands of men — many with little training — into uniforms. Some signed contracts believing they would perform support duties, only to find themselves on the front lines within weeks.
The documentary follows men like Nikolai, who was thrown into the trenches of eastern Ukraine. Initially convinced he was serving his country, his optimism quickly dissolved as he faced flooded dugouts, inadequate supplies, and relentless artillery fire. He recalls watching comrades die beside him, their bodies left in mud-filled trenches. His patriotism was drowned in disillusionment.
The Brutality of Life in the Trenches
The war’s grim reality is etched in the memories of men such as Dmitry and Igor, both of whom describe conditions that border on the medieval. Soldiers slept in makeshift dugouts that filled with water during rains, leaving them cold and sick. Ammunition was scarce, food was inadequate, and medical help was often nonexistent.
“Every day you woke up wondering if you would live to see the next morning,” one deserter recalls. The constant shelling, the cries of the wounded, and the sight of friends blown apart created trauma that no amount of military propaganda could erase. For many, the choice became stark: die on the battlefield, or risk everything to escape.
The Underground Network: Helping Soldiers Disappear
Desertion in Russia is not a minor offense — it is a crime that carries severe punishment, including years in prison. Yet despite the dangers, more and more soldiers are taking the risk.
A key role in this escape story is played by Get Lost (in Russian, Idite Lesom), an anti-war organisation that secretly helps Russian soldiers flee. The group provides guidance on desertion routes, forged documents, safe houses, and psychological support. Volunteers coordinate across borders, offering lifelines to men who otherwise would have no way out.
The network’s operations are clandestine, and its members risk arrest for aiding deserters. Still, they continue their work, driven by the belief that saving men from this war is a moral duty.
The Cost of Defiance
The deserters’ decision to flee is not without heavy consequences. Families left behind face harassment, job losses, and even surveillance by authorities. Soldiers themselves often live in constant fear, hiding in foreign countries or moving between safe houses to avoid being tracked down.
One man in the documentary speaks of how he has not seen his children in months, afraid that any attempt to contact them could expose his location. Another describes the guilt of leaving fellow soldiers behind, torn between survival and solidarity. The emotional cost of desertion is as heavy as the physical danger.
Putin’s Narrative vs. Ground Reality
The Kremlin insists that Russian soldiers are fighting heroically for the “defense of the motherland” and portrays deserters as cowards or traitors. State-controlled media rarely acknowledges the scale of desertion, though independent monitors suggest that thousands of men have either fled abroad or gone into hiding to avoid mobilisation.
This clash between official narrative and lived reality is at the heart of the documentary. On television, soldiers are heroes. In the trenches, they are broken, hungry, and expendable. For the deserters, the choice to flee is less about politics and more about basic survival.
Human Stories of Resistance
What makes the documentary powerful are the individual stories of defiance. Each deserter is a reminder that beneath the machinery of war are human beings with fears, families, and dreams.
- Nikolai describes his escape as a rebirth, a desperate grasp at freedom after months of despair.
- Dmitry and Igor share the haunting images of comrades who never made it out, their stories now silenced by the trenches.
- Volunteers of Get Lost speak of sleepless nights spent guiding men to safety, knowing a single mistake could mean capture or death.
Their testimonies break through the fog of war, offering glimpses of courage in a landscape dominated by violence and propaganda.
Desertion as Silent Resistance
The Russian Soldiers Fleeing Putin’s Army is more than just a war documentary; it is a study in survival and resistance. Desertion may not topple governments or end wars, but it reveals the cracks in authoritarian narratives. For every soldier who flees, another truth emerges — that this war is not universally embraced, that loyalty can be broken, and that human beings, even under immense pressure, will seek life over death.
The deserters’ voices, fragile but defiant, cut through the noise of state propaganda. Their stories are not just about running away from war, but about reclaiming agency in a system that denies them choice. In their flight, they reveal something that dictators fear most: the courage to say no.
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