Russian soldiers reveal horrors of front-line executions
Four Russian troops have shared harrowing accounts of the violent conditions at the Ukrainian front, with two describing how commanders ordered the immediate killing of soldiers who refused orders. The testimony, captured in a BBC documentary, sheds light on the extreme measures taken to enforce compliance among troops.
Testimonies from the frontline
One soldier recounted witnessing a comrade executed at close range by his superior, who was later honored as a “Hero of Russia” in 2024. “I saw it—just two metres, three metres… click, clack, bang,” he said in a
direct quote
. Another from a separate unit claimed to have seen his commander personally shoot four men, including those he knew personally.
A third account described a pit filled with 20 bodies of fellow soldiers, victims of what the men call “zeroing”—a term for executing one’s own troops. “I remember one of them screaming, ‘Don’t shoot, I’ll do anything!’ but the commander still ordered the execution,” one soldier shared in a
statement
.
The “Zero Line” of brutality
These soldiers spoke of being subjected to torture for refusing to participate in what they deemed suicidal attacks. “Meat storms” is how they refer to these relentless assaults, where waves of men are sent across the front without adequate support. The BBC believes these are the first recorded accounts from frontline troops detailing such executions.
One man, tasked with identifying and counting casualties, provided lists showing he is the only survivor from a group of 79 mobilized with him. He described being tortured and urinated on for refusing to go to war, while others who resisted faced electrocution and starvation before being forced into combat.
Government response and casualty figures
Despite the testimonies, the Russian government maintains that its forces “operate with utmost restraint,” treating personnel with care even in high-intensity conflict. It also claims to investigate reports of alleged violations, though it could not confirm the accuracy of the accounts provided.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence estimates over 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the invasion began on 24 February 2022. Public dissent against the war has been suppressed, with almost all opposition silenced in Russia.
Personal stories of soldiers
Ilya, a former special needs teacher in Kungur, the Urals, was mobilized in May 2024 alongside 78 others. “Nearly everyone was drunk,” he recalled, as recruits were told to “forwards into battle! We’ll get Zelensky and raise our flag!” He feared for his life upon arriving in Ukraine, where many were immediately deployed to the front.
He witnessed four executions in Russian-occupied Donetsk, including a man who screamed for mercy before being shot. “Your fate depended on your commander. The commander is on the radio: ‘Zero this one, zero that one,'” he explained, highlighting the fear instilled by such actions.
Dima, a 34-year-old dishwasher repairman from Moscow, added that “of course they kill their own men—it’s a normal thing,” emphasizing the normalization of violence within the ranks. These accounts collectively reveal a breakdown of discipline and order on the Russian side of the front.
