Soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine detained in Russia

A number of Russian soldiers have been detained in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region for refusing to fight in Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine, their lawyer has said.

Andrei Rinchino, legal head of the Free Buryatia Foundation, told Russian independent media outlet MediaZona that 17 servicemen who entered into short-term contracts with Russia's defence ministry were locked up after they refused to continue to participate in the war and attempted to terminate their contracts, per Newsweek. 

The foundation describes itself on its website as "an anti-war movement against the criminal war in Ukraine launched by the Russian Federation led by Vladimir Putin."

According to the lawyer, one of the soldiers said that about three weeks ago, they attempted to terminate their contracts as they no longer wanted to fight in Putin's war. Rinchino said some of them were then returned to Russia, while others were ordered to wait.

However, a week later, the servicemen who were ordered to wait were reportedly sent to the front line in Luhansk again.

Moscow claimed military victory on July 3 after seizing the Luhansk region, which, along with the Donetsk region, comprises the Donbas.