Russian soldiers are refusing to go on assaults in Donetsk Oblast. Agents of the partisan movement Atesh from Russia’s 115th Motor Rifle Brigade, stationed near Avdiivka, set fire to their own military truck after learning they were being sent on suicidal attacks near Pokrovsk, the group reports.
The Atesh group operates in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and also Russia. It was founded in 2022 in response to Russia’s all-out war. Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians, and even Russians who were mobilized into the Russian army are involved in the movement.
“With this act, the agents delayed the unit’s deployment and saved their lives. Soldiers see that command is sending personnel to certain death — without rest, evacuation, or regard for survival,” the partisans reveal.
According to Atesh, the sabotage not only saved the perpetrators’ lives but also delayed the redeployment of their unit to the front line, forcing commanders to reconsider their plans.
Soldiers at the breaking point
The Atesh movement stresses that the assaults near Pokrovsk have turned into a “meat grinder,” where Russian command ruthlessly throws in exhausted troops.
Soldiers reportedly receive no rest, the wounded are left behind, and the dead are listed as “missing” to conceal real losses.
Sabotage as the last weapon
“Every Russian soldier can fight for his life without leaving his base! Sabotage is the most effective way to avoid being sent to die,” the agents declared.
They believe internal resistance has become the only means of survival in an army where a soldier’s life is worthless.
Wave of desertions in the 74th Brigade
Earlier, Atesh reported mass desertions within Russia’s 74th Brigade fighting near Pokrovsk, which continues to suffer catastrophic losses.
The situation in Pokrovsk is catastrophic. Russian forces are shooting Ukrainian women and children, while evacuation is impossible. People are burying their neighbours in their yards and have no access to food.
“Command, obsessed with capturing Pokrovsk as fast as possible, keeps throwing personnel into suicide assaults without pause or rest,” they said.
Over the past week alone, 38 soldiers abandoned their positions despite rear security groups being deployed to track down deserters.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Defense Forces carried out a unique airborne operation — a successful parachute-free airdrop in the Pokrovsk area, according to the 7th Corps of the Air Assault Forces.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s monitoring project DeepState reports that Russian forces from the 170,000 grouping continue infiltrating the city in Donetsk Oblast. The occupation groups are being tracked or eliminated in multiple districts, expanding the “gray zone” of Russian reconnaissance and sabotage activity.
Women are also being used for infiltration. If an assault fails, they are ordered to change into civilian clothes to pass as civilians while conducting reconnaissance and reporting the movements of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
