Four Russian soldiers told the BBC that they witnessed commanders execute their own troops on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, describing a collapse of discipline, widespread torture, and so-called “meat storm” assaults that sent waves of men into near-certain death.
As reported by the BBC in its documentary The Zero Line: Inside Russia’s War, the men, now outside Russia and fearing for their safety, gave detailed accounts of summary executions for those who refused orders. Two said they personally saw comrades shot at point-blank range after declining to return to the battlefield.
“I see it, just two metres, three metres… click, clack, bang,” said Dima, a former paramedic who claimed his commander ordered multiple killings. Another soldier, Ilya, said four men were executed in front of him. “One of them screamed, ‘Don’t shoot, I’ll do anything!’ But he was killed anyway,” he recalled.
“Zeroed” for Refusing Orders
The soldiers described the use of the term “zeroing”, Russian military slang for executing one’s own troops. According to their testimony, this practice was used to intimidate others who might resist what they described as suicidal assaults.
They said units were routinely sent in relentless waves toward Ukrainian positions, a tactic referred to as “meat storms.” The goal, they claimed, was to exhaust Ukrainian ammunition and drone capacity through sheer numbers, regardless of casualties.
Dima alleged that in one three-day period, his regiment lost 200 men. “You send three, then ten, then fifty. Eventually, you break through. That’s the logic,” he said.
Torture and Humiliation
Beyond executions, the men described torture for insubordination. Ilya said he was beaten, tied to a tree, and humiliated after refusing to join an assault. Others were allegedly electrocuted, starved, or confined in pits before being sent to the front unarmed.
Denis, another former soldier, claimed he lost teeth after being beaten by a superior. He said humiliation,including urinating on detainees,had “become the norm.”
The Russian government denies such allegations. It states that its armed forces operate with restraint and that any reported violations are investigated. Moscow does not publish official casualty figures. However, the UK Ministry of Defence estimates that more than 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed or injured since the full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022.
All four men described lasting psychological trauma. Despite their criticism of the war and its leadership, some expressed love for their country. “I love Russia,” said Ilya, “but not what has been done to it.”
