August M
War zones are notorious for harsh conditions. However, the internal dynamics of an army can sometimes prove just as brutal as combat on the front lines.
Now, disturbing new reports describe shocking treatment suffered by troops at the hands of their own commanding officers, reports Ziarre.com.
Internal terror
Shocking footage circulating online appears to show Russian commanders severely abusing their own troops. According to Ziarre.com, video clips depict soldiers bound to trees with tape and one forced to dig a deep trench.
Ukrainian military journalist Yuri Butusov published the material. He noted that it came from an anonymous source, as reported by The Daily Mail.
One terrifying video shows an officer confronting a trembling soldier whose finger was cut off. The officer throws the severed finger at him.
“I think you asked for something to drink, didn’t you?” the officer asks. According to the report, the commander then tells the terrified soldier to “drink” after urinating into a cup.
Claims of cruelty
Disturbing accounts suggest these abuses occurred within unofficial “penal battalions” inside the 36th Guards Motorized Infantry Brigade. Troops faced beatings, electric shocks, and threats of being sent into combat without ammunition.
Highlighting the severity of the abuse, Butusov noted, “Half of them have scars on their backs.” Soldiers who disappeared after facing torture were recorded as missing or as “Cargo 200” in official logs.
Family members tried to report the brutal treatment to authorities. However, brigade officials blocked those complaints from moving up the chain of command.
Hero or butcher
The complaints identified a commander named Karaiev, nicknamed “The Butcher” by some soldiers. Reports link him to Colonel Kurabek Karaiev.
He stands accused of forcing subordinates to “finish off wounded Russian soldiers and kill those who refused to participate in the attacks.” Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov named him a Hero of Russia nine months ago.
As noted by The Daily Mail, the footage and accompanying claims cannot be independently verified during wartime. It remains unclear exactly when or where the recordings took place.
Sources: Ziarre.com, The Daily Mail
