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National Resistance Center: Mounting cases of Russian commanders killing own service personnel

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National Resistance Center: Mounting cases of Russian commanders killing own service personnel
Russian soldiers patrol a street on April 11, 2022, in Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast. (Illustrative purposes only) (Alexander Nemenov /AFP via Getty Images)

There is a growing tendency among Russian officers in the Western Military District to commit violence against their subordinates, Ukraine's National Resistance Center reported on Feb. 11, citing undisclosed sources.

Poor morale has reportedly plagued Russian forces since the start of the all-out war against Ukraine, and cases of executions and soldiers disobeying orders have been recorded.

A number of military court verdicts related to murders of service personnel by on-duty unit commanders have been recorded in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the center claimed.

These incidents are reportedly caused by mutually hostile behavior by both service personnel and commanders or linked to alcohol and drug intoxication.

At the beginning of February, the Kursk Garrison Military Court sentenced a senior ensign to 14 years in prison for shooting a group of subordinates while heavily intoxicated by alcohol, according to the report.

Kursk Oblast lies at the border with Ukraine's Sumy Oblast.

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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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