Entire platoon of Putin's army fled their trenches on the Ukrainian front line

An entire platoon of the Russian army fled their frontline trenches and tried to escape to Crimea as commanders threatened execution for deserters, Ukraine claims, according to daily Mail.
Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesman for the Tavria Grouping of Troops, said that 'nearly 40 invaders' had 'recently' tried to escape to the peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014.
'I'm talking about an entire platoon of the Russian army. There were reports that they were being hunted down in an attempt to bring them back,' he told Espreso Tv, adding that the deserters were armed.
The military spokesperson also reportedly said that a recent cold snap and unsanitary conditions prompted a further 30 Russian soldiers to surrender in just a four-day period.
It comes as desertions among the Russian ranks have surged as the war in Ukraine approaches the two-year mark, with dire conditions and high casualty rates swelling discontent in Putin's army.
Shtupun said that conscripts who lack training and experience on the battlefield are threatened with physical violence by commanders, including with execution, if they refuse to fight.
'This is how they stimulate invaders to execute assault missions,' he said.
'They put pressure on them both mentally and physically. The newly mobilized soldiers, who have just been deployed, have not yet seen those horrors and do not understand what is going on.
'That is why it's those who have already been on assault missions and somehow survived who refuse to go on another offensive as they are terrified of going there again.'
Last month, one charity said it had received more than 1,000 requests from Russian servicemen to help them evade fighting since April.