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1/ Mobilised Russians are being denied leave after months of front-line service in Ukraine, possibly due to manpower shortages in the Russian army. As well as going against promises made by the Russian government, it's likely to cause major problems with combat fatigure. ⬇️ 
2/ Widespread reports have emerged of Russian soldiers being denied leave, or in some cases only being granted leave if they pay bribes to their commanders (see thread below). Those serving more than 6 months in Ukraine are supposed to get 14 days' leave.
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1671486483792789505
3/ In April/May 2023, videos emerged of Altai Territory soldiers and their female relatives complaining that they were getting neither leave nor pay. More such reports have emerged and are highlighted today by the 'We can explain' (MO) Telegram channel.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1652923807664062465
4/ MO has spoken with the relatives of several soldiers. One man was mobilised from the Belgorod region in November 2022 before his regiment was sent to the front line in Donetsk in March 2023. It suffered crippling losses, amounting to 40% of the regiment.
5/ After that, his wife Yulia says, "Their regiment was disbanded. Now it is not clear who the guys are attached to. They have no commander. They are due leave, send them away."
6/ As for the mobilisation, they barely had time to get ready, at 8 pm they were given a draft order, and at 9 am they had to have their luggage ready, and as for the other one, it's not clear who they should ask [for leave]."
7/ Another soldier from Vladivostok was mobilised on 23 September and was sent to Ukraine on 2 October. He was initially assigned a 30 day leave from 1 September 2023, but this was cut back after Putin's decree of a mandatory 14-day leave.
8/ His wife says: "The leave still starts from 1 September, but [only] for 14 days, the remaining 14 days were said to be 'forgiven'. Those who are close to commanders and look in the same place now go on leave."
9/ One man from the Moscow region was mobilised in October 2022 and was wounded in February 2023 while rescuing a fellow soldier from Ukrainian shellfire. He was sent to hospital and was declared AWOL (or as the Russians say, "gone to Sochi") while he was being treated.
10/ When he returned to the front line after a month of recuperation he was told that he would not be allowed any leave. "No leave for you as you've been lying in the hospital for a month as it is. Sick leave, ordinary leave, nothing is granted."
11/ "Presidential decrees are not enforced by the Ministry of Defence. It's deception upon deception," says his wife.
Similar reports have come from across Russia. It's likely that there are multiple factors involved – manpower shortages, uncaring commanders, poor organisation.
Similar reports have come from across Russia. It's likely that there are multiple factors involved – manpower shortages, uncaring commanders, poor organisation.
12/ However, it's highly likely that not allowing soldiers to go on leave will have seriously adverse effects for their combat effectiveness. It was well established during WW2 that keeping soldiers in the front line for long periods made them into "psychiatric casualties."
13/ During the Battle of Normandy, 98 percent of those who had fought continously for 60 days became psychiatric casualties due to combat fatigue. American troops remained in battle continuously with no relief for as long as 80 days at a time.
14/ Less sustained fighting caused the breaking point to be reached within 200 to 240 days. Those mobilised in September 2022 have potentially been in the line for 260 days or more.
15/ While some mobilised soldiers have certainly been able to go on leave, it's likely that those unable or not allowed to do so are at increasingly severe risk of developing combat fatigue – immortalised by Tom Lea's 1944 painting 'Marines Call It That 2,000 Yard Stare' (above).
16/ To quote the 1946 Combat Exhaustion report, "Psychiatric casualties are as inevitable as gunshot and shrapnel wounds…
17/ "The general consensus was that a man reached his peak of effectiveness in the first 90 days of combat, and that after that his efficiency began to fall off, and that he became steadily less valuable thereafter, until he was completely useless."
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