Report: Over 150 Russian Soldiers Executed by Their Own Commanders for Refusing to Fight in Ukraine
A Russian service member stands at a combat position in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, on the left bank of the Dnipro river in the Zaporizhzhia
Russian commanders are allegedly torturing and executing their own soldiers who refuse to fight in Ukraine, according to a harrowing investigation by the independent outlet Verstka. The report paints a picture of an army consumed by fear, violence, and impunity, conditions that have reportedly worsened since the invasion began.
Drawing on testimony from active-duty soldiers, relatives of the dead, leaked videos, and official complaints, Verstka identified 101 Russian servicemen accused of murdering, torturing, or fatally punishing fellow troops. The outlet verified at least 150 deaths, though investigators warned the real number could be significantly higher.
As reported by The Guardian, rumors of Russian soldiers being executed by their own side or “blocking units” preventing retreats have circulated since the early months of the war. While the Kremlin has repeatedly denied these claims, insisting that disciplinary problems exist only in Ukraine’s forces, Verstka’s findings offer the most detailed evidence yet of systematic brutality within the Russian ranks.
Soldiers interviewed by Verstka said that commanders had appointed “execution shooters,” soldiers ordered to open fire on anyone refusing to obey orders. Bodies of those killed were reportedly dumped in rivers or buried in shallow graves, later recorded as combat casualties.
Other testimonies described commanders using drones and explosives to target retreating or wounded troops. Drone operators were allegedly instructed to drop grenades on their own men, disguising the killings as enemy strikes.
Verstka also documented multiple cases of soldiers being tortured to death. Disobedient troops were reportedly thrown into pits covered with metal grates, doused with water, and beaten for hours or even days. In some cases, soldiers were forced to fight each other in “gladiator-style” battles to the death.
One video, circulated by Ukrainian monitoring groups in May 2025, appeared to show two shirtless men forced to fight in a pit as a voice off-camera urged them to kill one another. “Commander Kama basically said whoever beats the other one to death gets out of the pit,” the voice says. Moments later, one of the men collapses motionless.
The investigation also uncovered financial extortion schemes within the Russian army. Commanders allegedly demanded bribes from soldiers to avoid suicidal missions. Those who refused or couldn’t pay were “zeroed,” a term used in military slang for being eliminated.
Verstka found evidence that some soldiers were sent on missions as “mayachki,” or beacons, deliberately deployed ahead of assault groups without proper equipment to draw enemy fire.
Initially, reports of such executions came from penal units made up of former prisoners. However, Verstka’s data suggests that these practices have now spread to regular army units. The influx of ex-convicts and the absence of accountability, the report says, have normalized violence across Russian forces.
Most of the identified perpetrators are mid-ranking officers in their 30s and 40s, many of them veterans of previous Russian conflicts or transfers from penal battalions. Despite detailed records including names, ranks, and units for more than 60 of the 101 alleged offenders, few have faced prosecution.
Official data obtained by Verstka reveals that Russia’s main military prosecutor’s office received nearly 29,000 complaints from soldiers and their families in the first half of 2025. More than 12,000 of those complaints involved punishment or abuse by commanding officers.
A source within the prosecutor’s office told Verstka that there is an informal ban on investigating commanders serving in combat zones. “They say, ‘If we open this, it could harm operations.’ That means these officers have total impunity,” the source said.
Verstka’s investigation exposes what appears to be a military system ruled by fear, brutality, and corruption, one in which Russian soldiers face not only the dangers of the battlefield but also the deadly authority of their own commanders.
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