Russian commanders are executing their own troops for refusing suicidal assaults in Ukraine, according to shocking testimonies from four soldiers who fled the front lines. In a BBC documentary, the men detailed brutal killings, torture, and “meat storm” tactics that have decimated units, exposing a breakdown of discipline in Vladimir Putin‘s forces.

One soldier, Dima, a former dishwasher repairman from Moscow, recounted witnessing his commander shoot four comrades at point-blank range. Dima said: “I see it – just two metres, three metres… click, clack, bang.” Dima’s commander, Alexei Ksenofontov, was honoured as a “Hero of Russia” in 2024, despite families denouncing him as a “butcher” in a letter to Putin, alleging he oversaw thousands of deaths.

Another witness, Ilya, a former teacher from the Ural Mountains, said he saw four soldiers gunned down for fleeing the front. Ilya said: “The saddest thing is that I knew them. I remember one of them screaming ‘Don’t shoot, I’ll do anything!'” Ilya, tasked with counting the dead, claimed he was the sole survivor of 79 mobilised men.

He described “zeroing” – Russian slang for executing one’s own – as routine punishment. Ilya added: “Your fate depended on your commander. The commander is on the radio: ‘Zero this one, zero that one.'”

Dima also revealed discovering 20 bodies in a pit, freshly arrived ex-convicts whose bank cards were allegedly stolen by commanders before they were shot. Dima said: “Twenty lads were brought to us. They just took their bank cards and killed them. It’s not a problem to write off someone. You just make up a report.”

The soldiers painted a grim picture of “meat storms,” where waves of troops are hurled at Ukrainian positions to exhaust their defences, regardless of casualties. Dima explained: “You send three guys, then another three. It didn’t work out, send 10. It didn’t work out with 10, send 50. We had 200 dead in three days.” UK Ministry of Defence estimates suggest 900-1,500 Russians are killed or wounded daily in 2025, with over 1.2 million total casualties since the 2022 invasion.

Refusal brought savage reprisals. Ilya said he was tied to a tree, beaten, and urinated on after defying orders, leading him to attempt suicide. Denis, another soldier, showed footage of a deserter being humiliated similarly, claiming such acts are “the norm” and go unpunished. Dima endured 72 days of electric shock torture in a makeshift prison for refusing to order a storm.

A senior staff officer, unnamed for safety, corroborated the chaos, recalling a “liquidation squad” finishing off high-ranking officers.

The men, interviewed outside Russia, expressed despair. Dima said: “I’m a criminal, and nobody cares – my crime is just I don’t want to kill.” Ilya lamented: “They can break anyone there… They almost broke me, but not completely.”

Moscow dismissed the claims, insisting its forces operate with “utmost restraint” and investigate violations. The BBC could not independently verify the accounts, but they align with reports of front-line anarchy.

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