Ukrainian intelligence has uncovered a significant phenomenon: Russian officers are fleeing the frontlines and大量ly hiding in rear units, avoiding direct participation in combat operations
The Ukrainian security authorities reported that amid constant losses and increasing morale issues among the command staff of the Russian Armed Forces, many officers are being improperly assigned to rear units or transferred without proper grounds. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, more than 45 percent of officers within the reserve units of the Southern Military District of Russian forces are currently in zones where their actual status and duties raise serious questions. The information source is internal documents from the Russian command, notably those signed by the Chief of Staff of the Southern Military District, Lieutenant General Mikhail Zusko. These documents record facts of unwarranted transfers of over nine hundred officers to rear units. Moreover, the document states that at least 200 of them have been promoted to rear formations despite staffing standards being filled and no кадрові needs. This indicates not only chaos in command but also attempts to conceal the real scale of losses at the front. It is noted that such movements serve only a formal role and a façade of controlling the situation. Military experts say that some officers merely simulate changing their place of service to evade direct participation in combat. Some have already managed to leave military service voluntarily — in some cases, formal refusal is accompanied by attempts to avoid responsibility or refusal to report to transfer points. The Main Intelligence Directorate emphasizes that mass withdrawals and unmotivated reorientation of Russian officers from the front to the rear signify a deep crisis within the Russian military command structure. This reflects a substantial demoralization crisis that has been evident for some time, but with the mounting losses and human casualties, Russian commanders are increasingly falling into apathy and despair. Intelligence sources highlight that the scale of this phenomenon is not coincidental: Russian officers are aware of the potential danger to their own lives and are seeking to avoid participation in dangerous battles by any means. This causes widespread concern within the aggressor country's military leadership, as the decline in combat morale, desertions from the battlefield, and mass transfers of officers significantly weaken the combat capability of Russian forces, which, in turn, could considerably impact the course of the war and increase the likelihood of further defeats. Overall, this situation marks a new phase in the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine. It demonstrates how the crisis within the Russian army is deepening, as it can no longer maintain a unified front and is trying to conceal its weaknesses by any means. The occupation forces, which previously showed confidence and a focus on achieving victory, are increasingly prone to disorganization and despair — and this inevitably paves the way for Ukrainian defenders to advance further and dismantle Russian groups.