Hundreds of russian soldiers have fled the fighting in Ukraine or refused to take part in the early stages of the war, stated in military documents available to The Wall Street Journal.
The publication also refers to the accused soldiers and lawyers who defend them.
Military analysts and Ukrainian officials say there have been many more.
The russian army suffered thousands of casualties at the start of the invasion of Ukraine and lost about a quarter of its military equipment, a senior Pentagon official said in April.
According to defense experts, desertion puts the russian government in an almost hopeless situation - how to punish those who refuse to serve without focusing on it.
"The russian military lacks manpower and they are looking for recruits to help change the situation in Ukraine. Punishments so far have been largely limited to official dismissals. Since russia has not declared war on Ukraine, there are also few legal grounds for criminal charges against those who refuse to serve abroad," said a lawyer and former assistant military prosecutor who defends soldiers released for disobedience, the statement said.
Russian occupiers lost 30,700 servicemen during the full-scale war against Ukraine. 1361 tanks, 3343 armored fighting vehicles, 659 artillery systems and 207 MLRS were eliminated.