Hundreds of soldiers from the pro-Russian enclave of South Ossetia have deserted their posts and hitchhiked home in what is thought to be the first case of mass mutiny in the war.
Eduard Kokoity, a former president of the breakaway state, confirmed that 300 soldiers had returned to South Ossetia after pictures emerged of fighters trying to get lifts from Vladikavkaz in southern Russia.
According to Ukraine’s general staff, 1,200 troops from South Ossetia and 800 from neighbouring Abkhazia have been deployed in Ukraine.
South Ossetia is recognised by most countries as being part of Georgia but unilaterally declared independence in the 1990s.
After the 2008 Russo-Georgian war, Moscow recognised both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent and offered extensive military and financial support.
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Russia is thought to have about 10,000 troops stationed in the two mountainous territories. However, the majority of the 300 deserters are Ossetians, local media reported.
The government of South Ossetia has declared its intention to become part of Russia, pledging to hold a referendum in April.
Anatoly Bibilov, leader of the separatist region, said it was an “age-old dream” of the Ossetian people to join Russia, having been part of the Soviet Union.
In comments broadcast on Russian television he said: “We will take the relevant legal steps in the near future. The republic of South Ossetia will be part of its historical homeland: Russia.”
The following day Leonid Pasechnik, the head of Ukraine’s Luhansk separatist region, said that it might hold a referendum on becoming part of Russia.
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Denis Pushilin, the leader of Donetsk, the other pro-Russian separatist “republic” in eastern Ukraine, has also spoken in favour of a union with Moscow.
Abkhazia, however, has said that it has no intention of becoming part of Russia.
Many in South Ossetia harbour animosity against Ukraine over its vocal support of Georgia during the Russo-Georgian war.
Ukraine, however, has felt slighted by the lack of support from Georgia during the current conflict, with the Caucasian nation having refused to impose sanctions on Russia for fear of angering Moscow.
In a sign of its displeasure, Ukraine this week announced that it had withdrawn its ambassador from Georgia.
