Russian soldiers stationed in occupied parts of Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast are reportedly trying to avoid redeployment to Pokrovsk, one of the most intensely-contested frontline areas in the country, according to the Ukraine-aligned partisan group ATESH.
Pokrovsk, in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, has seen months of intense fighting, with Russia massing large numbers of troops but failing to capture the city. The frontline has produced heavy Russian casualties, making it one of the most dangerous sectors for Moscow’s forces.
Troops faking illness, using old injuries to evade rotation
ATESH agents embedded in Russia’s 205th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade said large numbers of troops are claiming illness or using old injuries and questionable diagnoses to evade rotation to the Pokrovsk direction.
Entire groups are reportedly seeking hospital admission to avoid combat, a spike that exceeds normal medical admissions.
ATESH said soldiers are increasingly reluctant to rotate to the front and are seeking ways to escape deployment.
Kherson troops conduct "human safari" instead of frontline combat
By contrast, the Kherson region remains relatively quiet on the frontlines. Russian troops there mainly conduct long-range strikes on Kherson city and surrounding areas, and use FPV drones to target civilians from positions across the Dnipro River in what has become known as a “human safari.”
