14 Russian soldiers leave their unit in North Ossetia

2 sergeants accused of abusing soldiers

May 05, 2003

MOSCOW - Russian military prosecutors have filed criminal charges against two army sergeants accused of abusing their subordinates, which led to the latest in a series of mass walkouts from Russia's armed forces, officials said Monday.

Fourteen Russian servicemen left their unit in the southern region of North Ossetia, near Chechnya, on Sunday. Mikhail Yanenko, a spokesman for the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office in Moscow, said Monday that they were not considered deserters because they left to report illegal actions and returned to their unit within 24 hours.

Yanenko said that after an initial investigation of the servicemen's complaint Sunday, two sergeants were charged with abuse of power in connection with assault and beating of soldiers. Thirteen of the 14 had bruises, Yanenko said.

Widespread hazing and other abuse of soldiers in the Russian military has led to a spate of desertions, shootings and suicides over the past several years. Draft-dodging has also become common as young men seek to avoid abuse, miserable conditions in the armed forces and the war in Chechnya.

/The Associated Press/