A Russian soldiers service card was stamped traitor for refusing to participate in the war in Ukraine, a veteran and lawyer said Wednesday amid regular reports of refusals and low morale within the ranks.Maxim Grebenyuk, who had served as a military prosecutor and currently consults soldiers who reject deployment in Ukraine, posted a photograph of the card with the non-regulation stamp on his social media.Prone to betrayal, lies and deceit.
He refused to participate in the special military operation, it reads.The red stamp bears the name of Captain K.
Zharov, head of the 136th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade based in southern Russias republic of Dagestan.
The soldier's name was not revealed.Grebenyuk said the contract soldier who shared the photograph was offered deployment in Ukraine instead of rehabilitation leave after a seven-month stint in Syria, where Russia has been on the ground in support of the regime since 2015.Records such as this are aimed only to insult and humiliate a serviceman, he told the Mediazona news website.This stamp says nothing other than the commands powerlessness to punish him otherwise, Grebenyuk said.
They cant do anything else, they cant open a criminal case, thats why they did this nasty thing.Russias Defense Ministry shared an anonymous Telegram channels post calling news about the stamp fake and citing the date May 5 of the soldiers discharge as one of the reasons.But Grebenyuk defended the cards authenticity, saying the military regularly puts soldiers on leave before releasing them.He was given leave to then be discharged, as is done in the army, Grebenyuk said.