Unverified reports have emerged alleging systematic abuse and extrajudicial executions of Russian soldiers by their own commanders, according to Polish media outlet TVP World, raising questions about discipline and morale within Russian Ground Forces.
The allegations, which could not be independently confirmed, originate from videos posted to the Russian-language Telegram channel "Trick Question," purportedly showing soldiers from the 132nd and 60th brigades subjected to extreme abuse. The reports come as Russia sustains approximately 40,000 monthly casualties while recruiting only 35,000 personnel per month, according to Western military estimates.
According to the Polish report, a former Russian army medic told the BBC and Daily Mail he witnessed the bodies of 20 soldiers executed by their own officers after their money was confiscated. The videos allegedly depict soldiers chained to trees and ordered to bark like dogs, commanders urinating on detainees, and troops confined in boxes while being taunted with food.
The reports describe a practice called "zeroing"—extrajudicial executions carried out by Russian commanders. Additionally, soldiers who own smartphones or refuse contract extensions allegedly face forced participation in "meat assaults"—suicidal frontal attacks on Ukrainian positions—as punishment.
Historical Context of Military Abuse
Military analyst Keir Giles contextualized these allegations within Russia's long-standing problems with dedovshchina—the extreme hazing of conscripts that has persisted despite repeated reform attempts. "The Russian army reflects the society from which it's drawn. And that's a society in which violence, extortion, and corruption are endemic," Giles reportedly stated.
In Russia, as in much of the former Soviet space, understanding requires reading between the lines. The persistence of dedovshchina despite decades of official efforts to eliminate it reflects deeper institutional problems that military reforms have consistently failed to address.
