deserter

The mass demonstration follows a recent crackdown on ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, with thousands of call-up notices ignored in recent months and several deserters imprisoned.

He has since published videos of torture in Russia’s penitentiary system and collected accounts from prison guards and Russian military deserters who are now giving testimony to international courts.

"It is better for them to pay not to fight than to come here and run away, tripping us up. It doesn't bother me much. If they came here, they'd just scarper… they're deserters."

These units are often sent in to battle as the “first wave” and a number of Russian deserters have told the BBC that “troublemakers” who object to the war have been used as “cannon fodder”.

But the labor minister, Kim Moon-soo, said not only might that violate national and international law, but it would result in more deserters.