A recent accusation reveals that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been locking up drunken Russian soldiers in makeshift dungeons, known as Zindans, in Ukraine. This startling development comes more than 14 months after Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
According to a report published by the UK's Ministry of Defense, these Zindans are holes in the ground covered with metal grilles. Soldiers placed inside are reportedly denied food and other essential supplies. The report states, "In recent months, Russian commanders have likely started punishing breaches in discipline by detaining the offending troops in Zindans."
The Ministry of Defense also reports multiple similar accounts from Russian personnel who have been placed in these makeshift cells for offenses such as drunkenness or trying to terminate their contracts. The report notes that during the initial months of the war, Russian commanders were lenient in enforcing discipline, allowing soldiers who refused to fight to return home quietly.
"Since Autumn 2022, there have been multiple increasingly draconian initiatives to improve discipline in the force, especially since Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov assumed command of the operation in January 2023," the report adds.
Rumors have been circulating about the treatment of Putin's troops on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine. In April, one Russian soldier alleged that instead of training for the war, troops were "constantly boozing." Upon being deployed to Ukraine, they were forced to dig trenches using metal spoons.
The soldier stated, "They didn't even have any food – no dry rations were given to them. They boarded up the windows, stripped the flooring, and dug a small hole to provide cover in case of an attack." He added, "They had to dig with camping spoons."
Other reports suggest that Russian soldiers were forced to build "Frankenstein tanks" using parts from destroyed vehicles to continue their assault on Ukraine. Some soldiers were reportedly sent into the country armed with only "firearms and shovels."
A recent report cited an account from late February 2023, in which mobilized Russian reservists claimed they were ordered to attack a Ukrainian concrete strongpoint armed with nothing more than "firearms and shovels."