But Ukraine has said the evacuations involve the forced relocation of civilians, a war crime, which Russia denies. Meanwhile, according to a UK Ministry of Defense report, the Russian military is likely to deploy units that threaten to shoot soldiers planning to withdraw from Ukraine. The ministry said: “Due to low morale and reluctance to fight, Russian forces likely began deploying ‘barrier troops’ or ‘blockade units.’ “These units threaten to shoot retreating soldiers to force attacks and have been used in previous clashes by Russian forces,” he added. Also read: Russia will run out of weapons before Ukraine does, UK defense secretary says British intelligence also reported that Russian generals likely told their commanders to use weapons against defectors. The defense ministry said its tactic of shooting deserters “probably attests to the low quality, low morale and indiscipline of Russian forces”. “The generals probably wanted to hold defensive positions to the death.” Last month, the New York Times published a detailed report on the wiretapping of Russian soldiers in Ukraine, talking about the widespread atrocities they face and how they are unhappy with Putin’s decision to invade. Photo: manhhai on flickr See more from Benzinga Don’t miss real-time alerts on your stocks – join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster and better. © 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
