Putin Under Pressure as Poor Mobilization Sees Troops Die, Surrender: ISW

Russian President Vladimir Putin faces rising tensions as his army's ineffectiveness results in deaths and surrenders to Ukraine forces, according to reports.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released a report on Thursday detailing the latest information on the conflict in Ukraine.

The report noted that, following Putin's announcement that Russia would be mounting a partial mobilization against Ukraine to escalate the war three weeks ago, there have been significant issues in the army.

"Russian media reported that five mobilized men from Chelyabinsk [in west-central Russia] have already died in combat in Ukraine, just three weeks after President Vladimir Putin's declaration of partial mobilization on September 21," the ISW said.

"The report led many pro-war milbloggers to claim that the number of dead and wounded among mobilized servicemen is likely higher than this due to the lack of promised training, equipment, unit cohesion, and commanders, as well as repeated instances of wrongful mobilization."

The report goes on to say that Russian milbloggers have said that some newly mobilized servicemen have deployed without any pre-combat training at the order of Mikhail Zusko, the Commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District.

Following this alleged move, Ukrainian outlets have reported that the Kremlin arrested Zusko due to the combat losses that were suffered.

The ISW also noted that due to a lack of command supervision some of those mobilized are surrendering to Ukrainian forces.

"One Russian milblogger complained on October 13 that newly mobilized men are being deployed in a haphazard way that will lead to 10,000 deaths and 40,000 injuries among them by February 2023," the ISW added.

Since the report was published, a video of Russian soldiers allegedly surrendering to Ukrainian troops has also gone viral on Twitter.

Dmitri of the War Translated project, an independent project concerned with translating various materials about the war, posted the video on Friday morning. The clip has so far been viewed more than 100,000 times.

The person recording the video says that Russians are surrendering in the area, according to a translation. The camera then moves over to show a man being searched by a Ukrainian soldier.

The cameraman then begins speaking to another soldier and says that there is a destroyed Russian MT-LB armored vehicle.

The below chart, from Statista, shows the feelings mobilization has caused in members of the Russian public.

Department of War Studies professor Michael Clarke of King's College London has told Newsweek that Ukraine has taken steps to ensure Russian soldiers are aware of how they can surrender.

"The Ukrainians have been skilled at getting their surrender messages to the enemy. They promise big money if someone or a crew brings an armored vehicle with them, plus anonymity as a POW (money waiting for them after the war) and a new life for a few years out of Russia," Clarke said.

"They are very specific to individuals re: surrender (detach magazine from rifle, rifle slung over left shoulder, pointed downwards, hand in air holding white paper or cloth), proper POW treatment, etc."

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.