At least 10 former prison inmates who joined the Russian army have escaped from a military training ground in southern Russia’s Rostov region, local media reported Tuesday, citing an anonymous law enforcement source.
The men were reported missing after failing to appear for uniform distribution on Friday morning, according to the regional news outlet 161.ru. All were said to be unarmed at the time of their disappearance.
The reported escape took place on May 9, the day Russia held nationwide Victory Day celebrations marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Four of the deserters were reportedly detained while attempting to flee the Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. Authorities have located two others and were preparing to detain them, the outlet’s source said.
The whereabouts of the remaining four men were not immediately known.
The fugitives had reportedly been serving prison sentences for crimes including murder, rape and drug trafficking before being recruited into the Russian Armed Forces. They had signed contracts and were preparing to be deployed to the war in Ukraine, 161.ru reported.
Russia’s Defense Ministry and military investigators have not commented on the reported desertion.
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