Betrayal, desertion could mean execution, Ukraine rebel leaders warn fighters

reuters.com ^ | August 18, 2014 | Thomas Grove

[Tailgunner Joe]

Under growing pressure from a government offensive, the rebel leadership in Ukraine's battle-torn east warned its fighters on Monday that desertion and betrayal could be met by execution.

The warning appeared to signal a growing concern by the leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) over a breakdown of discipline in the fighting ranks as Kiev's military stepped up its offensive.

Apart from being worried about desertions, which the Kiev military says are now telling on rebel ranks, the separatists are also worried about widespread lawlessness.

"It is no secret that we have service personnel who carry out crimes. There are instances of looting and use of violence," Eduard Yakubovsky, the rebel republic's acting prosecutor-general, said in a video released by the rebels.

Witnesses in Donetsk say armed men have walked into car showrooms and simply driven off with the stock and firearms store owners have been forced to give up their stocks after rebels have demanded arms at gunpoint.

Rebels fear acts such as this are discrediting the separatist cause even as the leadership steps up a recruitment drive to try to hold back government forces.

In an announcement carried on its website, the leadership quoted top officials as expressing anger at looting and "unauthorized" use of force by some of its fighters against the civilian population.

Military tribunals would be set up and a criminal code which included the death penalty for a range of what it called very serious crimes including espionage, subversion and desertion, would be adopted, it said.

[Pearls Before Swine]

If I remember my Roman history, decimation provides, at best, short-term motivation; it’s a long term motivational loser.

[BurningOak]

The Putin fan club on FR has been silent lately. Did the checks stop clearing?

[Sooth2222]

"Witnesses in Donetsk say armed men have walked into car showrooms and simply driven off with the stock and firearms store owners have been forced to give up their stocks after rebels have demanded arms at gunpoint."

Hmmmmmm...

[af_vet_rr]

If I remember my Roman history, decimation provides, at best, short-term motivation; it’s a long term motivational loser.

Pointing guns at people's backs worked at Stalingrad.

[Pearls Before Swine]

True, but there was nowhere to go. If they hadn’t fought, everybody would have died. But, I bet many would go out of their way to not be in that situation again.

Maybe the Russians called that “leadership?”