Russian army resorts to show trials to quell riots — SBU

Riots in the Russian army are growing more frequent, so the command resorts to demonstrative punishments to curb dissenting soldiers, the Security Service of Ukraine says.

The SBU has intercepted a conversation with the father of a Russian soldier, who tells how the soldiers did not want to fight further, and company commanders refused to lead their subordinates "to certain death." Therefore, to quell the riot, General Rustam Muradov came and arranged a show trial for them.

According to the military, Muradov undressed them, tied their hands, forced them to take everything out of their pockets, and then took the soldiers away by car. The SBU says Muradov is known for his brutality after commanding Russian forces in Syria.

In a conversation with his father, the soldier says that the Russian rebels still have to be returned home, under the pretext of a "vacation."

"Because Russia cannot officially admit that it has such a large number of soldiers who refuse to fight in Ukraine. That's why he calls their escape from the war 'vacations'," the SBU notes.

Riots in the Russian army

Ukrainian special services and the military regularly report on the poor morale of Russian soldiers and commanders. For example, in early March, the SBU reported that 600 Russian Marines had revolted near Odesa. They refuse to leave the ship in order not to fight against Ukraine.

And in April, the Ukrainian security service announced the interception of a conversation in which the occupier complained that their command had left them without supplies, without providing a way to retreat. Some even plan to dash off "volumes" of complaints at the military prosecutor's office after returning home.