Russian commanders began “punishing indiscipline” by keeping soldiers in what they called “dungeons,” meaning pits in the ground covered with metal mesh, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said in an assessment Sunday morning.

Russian soldiers in MelitopolPhoto: RIA Novosti / Sputnik / Profimedia

Several recent reports from Russian personnel include similar accounts of being jailed for misconduct, including drunkenness and attempts to break contracts, the Ministry of Defense in London said.

In the early months of the war, many Russian commanders used relatively light discipline, allowing those who refused to fight to return home in peace, Britain’s military secret service has revealed.

Since the autumn of 2022, several increasingly draconian initiatives to improve law enforcement discipline have appeared, especially after the operation was taken over by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in January 2023, the UK Ministry of Defense said. (news.ro)

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