“Important Stories” has obtained more than 50 complaints that relatives of missing servicemen sent to the presidential administration. They contest the recognition of their loved ones as having deserted because they know he suddenly stopped communicating or even received information about his death. In every fifth complaint studied by journalists, relatives of the military indicate that they know about the death of their loved one from fellow soldiers, even though he is officially listed as AWOL. This occurred in at least 25 military units in no less than 11 regions of Russia.
In total, according to the presidential administration, since the beginning of the war, Russians have sent the president more than 40,000 complaints about the search for missing military personnel, which may include appeals regarding their unjustified AWOL status.
Often, families are convinced that their missing men are falsely accused of desertion to avoid paying the due “burial” millions.
Human rights activists believe that the unlawful declaration of servicemen as AWOL is unlikely to be explained by commanders' desire to save the state budget. The Ministry of Defense may simply be trying to correct the statistics of criminal cases, as desertion from the army does happen frequently, but not many cases are initiated.
Another version of the unjustified AWOL statuses, discussed by relatives of servicemen, is the command's attempt to hide losses. Relatives write about this in complaints, citing conversations with military personnel and unit commanders.
Often, little time passes between signing the contract and the disappearance of a person who is then declared AWOL. Of the 20 people whose contract signing date is known, 18 stopped communicating in the first six months of service, most of them in the first two months. The shortest interval between signing the contract and the last conversation with relatives was eight days. Elizabeth's civilian husband, declared AWOL, signed a contract in the colony on July 11, 2024, contacted once on July 19, and on July 24 went on a combat mission and did not return.
At the same time, military lawyers told the publication that commanders should not assign a soldier AWOL status without grounds, such as testimonies of fellow soldiers or circumstances of disappearance. However, falsifying AWOL status in the army is not difficult, as the absence period in the unit is sufficient to initiate a criminal case, while the circumstances and reasons are secondary.
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