Russian soldiers shot and killed another commander, after refusing to take part in a suicidal attack. The latest incident is reported to have taken place on the Bakhmut front, as Russian troops attempt to take further ground.
Putin’s commanders have shown scant regard for the lives of their soldiers, happy to sacrifice them in order to eke out any territorial gains. Troops have found themselves thrown at heavily defended Ukrainian positions with next to no support, sustaining horrific losses. In total, Russian casualties have risen to over one million – dead and injured – since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Soldiers are becoming increasingly desperate to escape the frontline slaughter, and in some cases are resorting to extreme measures.
Reports from military bloggers suggest that a platoon from Russia’s 20th Combined Arms Army recently refused orders to make an unsupported attack.
Realising they would almost certainly be all wiped out, the soldiers decided to try and save themselves. They are reported to have murdered the platoon commander and then to have surrendered to Ukraine’s army.
Commenting on the reports, Chuck Pfarrer – a former US Navy Seal and war analyst – noted: “Russian morale is abysmal.”
Last month, a unit of Russian soldiers fighting on the Kupyansk front also shot and killed their senior officers, before making a run for it.
The shootings sparked a massive manhunt by Russia’s military police, who desperately tried to track down the culprits.
It comes as Ukraine’s army attempts to repel a Russian breakthrough in the Kharkiv region near Kupyansk.
Earlier in the month Russian troops seized the village of Milove and adjacent forested areas.
They are pushing forwards rapidly, as they attempt to take control of Velykyi Burluk, the largest settlement in the area.
The settlement would afford the Russians critical space for troop accommodation, storage of munitions and logistical hubs for further operations to capture Vovchansk and Kupyansk.