Russian soldiers who break the rules are punished by being locked up in holes in the ground covered with metal grates. This is stated by the British Ministry of Defense in its latest status report.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense believes that the Russian commanders, in recent months, are very likely to introduce harsher punishments for the soldiers who break the rules.
Soldiers who oppose the army’s regulations have, among other things, been locked up in makeshift cells in the ground, so-called Zindans, and anything from drunkenness to attempts to break the contract is seen as a violation of the rules.
The attitude has hardened since August
During the first months of the war, a large part of the commanders kept discipline relatively easy – for example, soldiers who refused to participate in battle were allowed to return home. But since August last year, the attitude has hardened, according to the British Ministry of Defence.
According to the British, the attitude towards the soldiers has become particularly evident since the Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov took over as commander of the forces in Ukraine in January from his subordinate, Sergei Surovikin.
“Held prisoner by my own Russians”
The Russian soldier Flarit Baitemirov states that he has been imprisoned in a three-meter-deep pit since March 23. In a video posted on the messaging app Telegram, he accuses his commanders of corrupting humanitarian aid and asks the Russian Defense Ministry for help.
– I am being held captive by my own Russians. I am Russian, I came as a volunteer, he says.
The authenticity of the video has not yet been verified.