By David Brennan |
A Ukrainian partisan movement operating in the occupied south of the country has reported mass desertions by Russian forces there, with Moscow’s troops refusing to carry out combat missions.
The Atesh—meaning “fire” in Crimean Tartar—movement has been operating in the southern Kherson region during Russia’s full-scale invasion; it began in February 2022 and saw much of the southern portion of the country quickly occupied.
Atesh gathers information on local Russian operations for Ukrainian intelligence and military forces while organizing local resistance. The group has also claimed the killing of multiple Russian and local allied troops.
Atesh wrote on its Telegram channel on Thursday: “Russian soldiers are disappearing en masse in the Kherson region.”
Newsweek cannot independently verify the report and has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email to request comment.
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