Mark<p>Over 18,000 Russian Southern Military District troops <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/deserted" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>deserted</span></a></p><p>According to many observers, low morale is a recurring problem for the <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/Russian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Russian</span></a> Armed Forces</p><p>Of the 18,000 deserting <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/soldiers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>soldiers</span></a>, around 12,000 of them belonging to the 8th Combined Arms Army – a unit often deployed in hostilities in eastern Ukraine.</p><p>Of this number, around 10,000 are mobilized <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/conscripts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>conscripts</span></a> and 2,000 contract soldiers</p><p><a href="https://kyivindependent.com/military-intelligence-over-18-000-russian-troops-of-southern-military-district-have-deserted/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">kyivindependent.com/military-i</span><span class="invisible">ntelligence-over-18-000-russian-troops-of-southern-military-district-have-deserted/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/RussianAggression" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RussianAggression</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/RussiaInvadedUkraine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>RussiaInvadedUkraine</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.scot/tags/StandWithUkraine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>StandWithUkraine</span></a></p>