(MENAFN- UkrinForm) A record number of desertion cases is being observed in the Russian army.

That's according to the British Ministry of Defense referring to intelligence updates, Ukrinform reports.

According to the independent Russian publication Mediazona, in March 2024, Russian military courts handed down a record number of sentences in desertion cases. A total of 684 Russian servicemen were convicted.

The total number of formally opened inquiries since "partial" mobilization was launched in September 2022 stands at 7,400, with the largest number, 496, probed in Moscow region.

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"Many of the soldiers who have been tracked down and appear in military court are given suspended sentences, returned to their units and to the frontlines. At the same time, asylum requests in Western nations from Russian nationals avoiding military service have reached record levels," the summary says.

Russian soldiers, including those conscripted during the September 2022“partial mobilization”, are required to remain in military service indefinitely, with little prospect of release, British intelligence says.

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As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Russia's combat losses in Ukraina as of April 24 have reached 461,940, including 880 in the past day alone.

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