Shortly before the retreat from Izyum, the Russian military tried to quit en masse "because of physical and moral fatigue." The Vot Tak publication published several reports of military personnel. The documents were handed over to the editors from the headquarters of the Izyum group of Russian troops after it was defeated and the city was liberated by the Ukrainian military. Journalists note that dozens of such reports were found at the headquarters.
“I refuse to carry out a special military operation on the territory of Ukraine due to absence on vacation and moral fatigue,” one of the documents addressed to the commander of military unit 31135 says. The report was signed by a senior lieutenant, “commander of the 3rd anti-aircraft missile platoon of an anti-aircraft missile battery” .
Another report addressed to the commander of the same unit 31135 was signed by Sergeant Azhgaliev. “I ask you to dismiss me, the commander of the 2nd anti-aircraft missile squad of the 2nd anti-aircraft missile platoon of the anti-aircraft missile battery, Sergeant Azhgaliev I. A., from the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation due to physical and moral fatigue from participation in the SVO on the territory of Ukraine.”
The publication assumes that the author of the report is Ilyas Alikbetovich Azhgaliyev, who is included in the database of the site "The Book of the Executioners of the Ukrainian People."
Vot Tak also publishes a Combat Leaflet from the headquarters of the Izyum group. It says that the Russian army is winning victory after victory on the fronts of the “special military operation”, and sanctions against Russia are ineffective.
Military Unit 31135 is the 1st Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Taman Guards Motorized Rifle Division, which is considered one of the best divisions of the Ministry of Defense. The place of permanent deployment of the division is the Moscow region.
The same reports are published by The Washington Post. “I ask you to dismiss me <…> from the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation due to physical and moral fatigue from participation in the SVO on the territory of Ukraine,” several identical letters that came into the possession of the publication say. In one of the reports, the military asks to be fired, citing "deterioration in health and lack of necessary medical care."