Russian troops have described the harrowing moments they saw their fellow soldiers executed for refusing to obey orders. <\/p>\n
The men report being tortured for declining to take part in assaults they describe as verging on suicide missions in Ukraine in a new BBC documentary, The Zero Line: Inside Russia\u2019s War.<\/p>\n
As the war enters its fifth year, the UK Ministry of Defence estimates that 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed or injured. <\/p>\n
Dima, a 34-year-old father and former dishwasher repairman, said he witnessed his comrades executed on the order of a highly decorated commander and saw the bodies of 20 others lying in a pit after being \u201czeroed\u201d. The term is Russian slang for executing one of your own. <\/p>\n
\u201cI see it \u2013 just two metres, three metres. Just murders, just click, clack, bang. It\u2019s not a drama, it\u2019s not a movie, it\u2019s real life,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
He said the men were all ex-convicts and had their bank cards taken off them before they were killed. Dima, who worked as a paramedic because he did not want to kill anyone, said he had spoken to several of the men.<\/p>\n
Mobilised Russian soldier Ilya left his hometown of Perm with 78 other men \u2013 he believes he is the sole survivor from his group (BBC)Dima calls his commander, Alexei Ksenofontov, a \u201cbutcher\u201d. Ksenofontov was awarded the Gold Star, the highest state medal, and made a \u201cHero of Russia\u201d in 2024, but has been denounced by the families of men who died in his unit. <\/p>\n
They have called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to look into allegations of brutality under his command. He shows a social media video of family members crying that their loved ones had been \u201cslaughtered\u201d and sent to their death \u201carmed with only machine guns and shovels\u201d. <\/p>\n
The actions are carried out against men who refuse to obey orders, including being sent to the frontline as part of a \u201cmeat storm\u201d. The tactic is part of Russia\u2019s \u201cmeat grinder\u201d strategy, sending waves of men to wear down Ukrainian forces. <\/p>\n
Russian soldier Denis blew up his foot in an attempt to escape the front lines (BBC)\u201cI saw them [commanders] send wave after wave, throwing men like meat at the Ukrainians, so they run out of ammo and drones and another wave can reach their objective,\u201d said Denis, another former soldier. <\/p>\n
Dima witnessed a \u201cmeat storm\u201d, saying: \u201cYou send three guys, then another three. It didn\u2019t work out, send 10. It didn\u2019t work out with 10, send 50. Eventually, you will break through. That\u2019s the logic of the military.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had 200 dead in three days. On our regiment\u2019s first meat storm, they broke us; our regiment was destroyed in just three days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mobilised Russian soldier Dima witnessed men being executed by direct orders of senior commanders (BBC)Ilya, 35, who worked in a command post, said his job was to identify and count the dead soldiers. He provided the BBC with a detailed list of 79 others he was mobilised with, of which he is the only surviving member. <\/p>\n
He personally witnessed four people being shot at point-blank range by a commander after they fled the front line and refused to return. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe saddest thing is that I knew them. I remember one of them screaming \u2018Don\u2019t shoot, I\u2019ll do anything!\u2019 but he [the commander] zeroed them anyway,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
He describes being tortured and urinated on while others were starved and forced into missions unarmed. Before the war, he taught children with special needs and autism in Kungur, in the Ural mountains. <\/p>\n
It has been four years since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine (BBC)Dima, who was eventually promoted to officer, also says he was tortured for 72 days, including with electric shocks, for refusing to send his men on a meat storm. <\/p>\n
\u201cJust torture only, every day with a stone face. No emotions, it\u2019s crazy,\u201d he described. <\/p>\n
The Russian government says its armed forces \u201coperate with utmost restraint, as far as possible under the conditions of a high-intensity conflict, treating their personnel with maximum care\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cInformation regarding alleged violations and crimes is duly investigated,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are unable to independently verify the accuracy or authenticity of the information you have provided.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Russian troops have described the harrowing moments they saw their fellow soldiers executed for refusing to obey orders. The men report being tortured for declining to take part in assaults they describe as verging on suicide missions in Ukraine in a new BBC documentary, The Zero Line: Inside Russia\u2019s War. As the war enters its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n