A new investigation by independent Russian outlet Verstka claims that some Russian casualties in the country’s war against Ukraine are being caused internally. According to the report, Russian army commanders are executing soldiers who refuse to fight in a practice known as “zeroing.”
Using testimonies from soldiers and relatives, leaked videos, and official complaints, Verstka identified 101 servicemen allegedly responsible for the killings, with at least 150 internal deaths confirmed.
The investigation, highlighted by The Guardian, says the practice began in penal units made up of ex-convicts but has spread into regular army units. “The culture of impunity and the influx of former prisoners…have ‘normalized violence,’” the report notes.
Commanders reportedly assign “execution shooters” to kill soldiers who refuse to fight or take part in suicide missions, where troops are ordered to act as “live bait” to draw enemy fire, according to Meduza. In some cases, commanders allegedly used drones to drop grenades on retreating troops, with the deaths falsely recorded as battlefield casualties.
The investigation also details torture, including soldiers being beaten, thrown into pits, or forced to fight each other to the death. Instances of financial extortion were also reported, with soldiers forced to pay commanders to avoid dangerous missions. In one case cited by Meduza, a soldier who refused to give a car in lieu of half his combat-injury compensation was allegedly killed.
Most of the accused are mid-ranking officers with prior military experience, and few have faced consequences. A source in the prosecutor’s office told Verstka there is an unofficial ban on investigating commanders in combat zones, citing concerns about hampering military operations.