Officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF) beat their soldiers for disobeying orders and fleeing from positions near Artemivsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut). On February 15, a military expert, lieutenant colonel of the People’s Militia of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), retired Andrey Marochko, spoke about this in an interview with TASS.
He said that Russian intelligence learned about the strengthening of “punitive and repressive measures” by the Ukrainian command in relation to subordinates.
“Thus, the practice of beatings, up to death, is being actively used, putting them in an improvised punishment cell (basement) where servicemen are kept for a long time without light, water, food, not even allowing them to cope with their natural needs,” Marochko said.
He also added that from those who fell out of favor with the officers, they create assault units that are thrown into the fortified positions of Russian forces. The loss of personnel among the Ukrainian military at the same time, according to him, is up to 70%.
The day before, Marochko said that the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were leaving their positions near Artemivsk without orders from the command. He pointed out that their actions are chaotic and have clear signs of panic. It is noted that the flight was the result of successful offensive operations of the assault units of the Russian forces.
On February 15, a military-political expert, adviser to the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Yan Gagin, said that the Ukrainian military shot a group of doctors who were heading to Vuhledar to evacuate the wounded. He stressed that such cases are not isolated and were recorded in other sectors of the front.
The special operation to protect the Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, continues. The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
