Inside the Kremlin’s Hidden War on Its Own Troops

The March That Broke the Chain

They left Rostov-on-Don in February under sealed railcars, 400 men promised a six-week ‘training rotation.’ By May, half were dead, and the survivors had become witnesses to a campaign of violence few outsiders believed possible—until now.

‘We Were Expendable’: Leaked Orders Tell the Story

Smuggled out on a cracked USB stick taped inside a boot heel, the cache of 1,300 pages details how commanders withheld food, ammunition, and medical kits as punishment for ‘low morale.’ One entry, dated 14 March, reads: ‘Shoot any soldier retreating without written permission—officers exempt.’

‘The first week, they took our phones. The second, our names. By the third, we were just numbers waiting to be deleted.’
— ‘Viktor,’ former conscript, speaking by encrypted line

‘Storm-Z’: Penal Units as Human Shields

According to the documents, Russia’s defense ministry funnels convicts into assault platoons sent ahead of regular troops to absorb artillery fire. Survivors who make it back are often re-sent the following night. One roster shows 87% casualties in a single battalion over ten days.

Payday That Never Comes

Salaries—officially 195,000 rubles ($2,100) a month—are docked for ‘lost equipment’ that was never issued. Families receive death benefits only if they sign NDAs. Refusal triggers home visits by military police, footage of which has been obtained by this correspondent.

‘They Threatened to Erase Us’: Silencing the Wounded

At Hospital No. 442 in Belgorod, amputees are reportedly denied discharge papers until they agree that injuries were ‘self-inflicted.’ A nurse slipped out photos: rows of men with fresh stumps, IV bags labeled ‘No-Morphine Protocol.’

The Network of Fear

Russia’s military police run a Telegram channel listing ‘deserters.’ Names are crossed out in red once the individual is caught. Crossed-out entries jumped from 12 in January to 319 in April, matching the period when commanders began locking soldiers inside burning BMPs to stop them surrendering.

Global Reaction: Sanctions but No Shelter

While the EU has frozen the assets of six generals, frontline sources say the abuse is accelerating. Ukrainian intercepts reveal Russian officers joking: ‘Let the meat grind itself; we just turn the handle.’

Epilogue: A Mother’s Search

Olga R., 52, has driven 14,000 km across Russia searching for her son. She keeps his last voice message: ‘Mum, if I don’t call in three days, we’re being moved to the line.’ That was 112 days ago. She still pays his phone bill so the voicemail stays active.