Kathrine Frich
Throughout wars, armies have faced not only external enemies but internal collapse, when discipline breaks down and command turns violent.
New investigations now suggest that inside Russia’s military, that line has already been crossed.
Internal threats
A video circulating on Russian social media shows an officer shouting at his men during what appears to be a briefing at a temporary base.
“If you don’t obey my orders, if you refuse to carry out your duties, I swear on my mother, I will shoot you personally. Every one of you,” he yells.
The clip was published by the Telegram channel Ne Zhdi Khoroshiye Novosti and shared by a soldier identified as Andrei Dmitriev.
He reportedly fled the front lines after his commander threatened to kill him.
System of abuse
According to The Times and the independent Russian outlet Verstka, commanders have begun to “reduce to zero” soldiers who disobey or fail to pay bribes.
The phrase, now common in Russian military slang, refers to killing or severely punishing troops without official sanction.
Verstka identified at least 101 servicemen allegedly killed by fellow soldiers or deliberately sent on suicide missions. Some were reportedly forced to fight one another in pits as punishment.
In one clip published in May, two soldiers are seen struggling in a trench as a voice off-camera urges: “Finish him, he’s still breathing.”
Deadly practice
A source within the Russian military prosecutor’s office told Verstka that more than 12,000 complaints about this practice have been received, though few resulted in charges.
Investigations were reportedly discouraged to avoid “damaging operations.”
One victim, soldier Andrei Bykov, was allegedly beaten to death after refusing to hand over compensation money for a war wound.
His mother told Verstka that she had not been allowed to bury him.
Another case involves 18-year-old Said Murtazaliev from Dagestan, who was recruited after being detained in Moscow.
He later told his family that officers demanded a payment of 1.15 million rubles to avoid a suicidal mission. He has not been seen since.
Families speak
The reported cases illustrate a broader pattern of violence and corruption within Russian units, according to opposition journalists and human rights groups.
The Times noted that more than 140,000 Russian soldiers have died since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
While most casualties occurred in combat, reports suggest an increasing number of deaths are the result of internal abuse.
Authorities have not publicly addressed the claims. The Ministry of Defence has not responded to requests for comment from independent Russian outlets.
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Sources: The Times, Verstka, Digi24
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
