Vladimir Putin’s Commanders Throwing Own Troops Into Caged Pits Called ‘Zindans’ For Being Drunk Or Refusing to Fight in Ukraine War: Report
Even as Russian president Vladimir Putin has been on a crackdown against critics and opponents in Russia, reports have emerged that the Russian troops are likely facing the makeshift dungeons as a form of punishment for actions such as being drunk or refusing to fight in the Ukraine war.
Delhi, May 01: Even as Russian president Vladimir Putin has been on a crackdown against critics and opponents in Russia, reports have emerged that the Russian troops are likely facing the makeshift dungeons as a form of punishment for actions such as being drunk or refusing to fight in the Ukraine war. The holes, called Zindans, consist of holes in the ground covered with a metal grille.
Independent reported UK’s Ministry of Defence as saying that inside medieval-style pits with metal grills on top, the Russian army locks up its own deserters. Vladimir Putin Health Update: Russian President Suffered 'Nervous Breakdown' After Changing to Stronger Cancer Medicine, Says Report.
The report further says that there are several footages that have appeared on Telegram which verify the reports. The soldiers are being thrown in inside the pits before being deprived from food and water for refusing to fight in Ukraine, or heavy drinking.
In the early days of the invasion, Russian commanders were relatively undemanding, allowing objectors to quietly return home. But ever since Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov assumed command of the war in January, draconian discipline has been on the rise. Vladimir Putin's Allies Dead: Two Russian Officials Found Dead on Same Day, Says Report.
The so-called ‘Zindan’ cells are holes in the ground covered with metal grates. They are thought to be just a few feet deep and, in pictures posted online, they appear to have been hastily dug with the bare earth still visible and metal grilles precariously weighed down on concrete breeze blocks.
These pits also appear similar to the chambers used to imprison torture victims in a Russian prison camp in Chechnya in 2000.
Since the first months of the invasion, Russian soldiers have been complaining about horror conditions and ‘torture’ pits.
A video went viral last week which showed a soldier as saying that he was being detained in a three-metre deep pit for drinking with other troops. he said he had been underground for four weeks, threatened with criminal prosecution. Other troops were with him.
In another, a soldier said he had been in a cell with other troops for three days without food.
However, it is yet unclear where these pits are located, and how many men are being held there.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2023 07:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).