Russian soldiers who desert or refuse to fight in Ukraine are facing brutal punishments, including being tied to trees and left at the mercy of Ukrainian drones, forced to fight each other to the death in shallow pits, and subjected to physical abuse and humiliation. These punishments are part of a broader pattern of mistreatment and disregard for human life within the Russian army, according to reports and videos circulating on social media.
The practice of tying soldiers to trees as punishment has been observed and documented by Ukrainian drone operators, who refer to it as a “sacrifice to Baba Yaga,” a fearsome witch from Slavic folklore. In one video, a Russian serviceman is seen tied to a tree, left to await the arrival of a Ukrainian drone that will likely kill him. A radio intercept shared with CNN reveals a Russian commander ordering a subordinate to be tied to a tree as punishment for desertion, instructing that the soldier be “hidden somewhere” and then “taken out and tied to a tree”.
Many Russian soldiers are deserting due to poor equipment, lack of ammunition, and a culture of nihilism within the army. Grigory Sverdlin, founder of Get Lost, an organization that helps Russian men desert or avoid conscription, says that violence is what keeps the Russian army going, and that officers often view soldiers’ lives as expendable. “Their lives are not worth anything to their commanders,” Sverdlin said. “For Russian officers, losing a tank, losing a vehicle, is much worse than losing, say, 10 or 20 people”.
Soldiers who desert often describe a lack of belief in the cause and a desire to avoid death or injury. Sverdlin says that many soldiers tell him, “It’s not my war, it’s not our war… I don’t understand what the hell we’re doing here.” The number of desertions from the Russian army is estimated to be in the tens of thousands, with some reports suggesting as many as 50,000 soldiers may have fled since the start of the full-scale invasion in early 2022.
Russian soldiers convicted of desertion can face up to 15 years in prison. However, ad hoc punishments are also widely carried out on the ground, including physical abuse, humiliation, and forced labor. Videos circulating on social media show soldiers being subjected to brutal treatment, including being kicked, beaten, and dragged behind vehicles. In one video, three men are shown stripped to their underwear and kept in a storage tank, being taunted and fed biscuits like animals.
The consequences of desertion are severe, and the punishments meted out to Russian soldiers serve as a warning to others who might consider fleeing. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, it is likely that more soldiers will desert, and more videos will emerge showing the brutal treatment of those who refuse to fight.