Russian commanders caught on video punishing drunken soldiers

A recording circulating online shows Russian soldiers tied to trees with tape and beaten by their own commanders. This was reportedly a punishment for drunkenness.

Videos posted on the internet show soldiers tied to trees in an unidentified forest near the front line in Ukraine. The video depicts an officer admonishing soldiers for being drunk on duty, which is a significant issue in Putin’s ranks.

"What [...] were you doing?" the officer is heard saying at one point. "Are you drunk too?" He then gives an order commanding that the subordinates be struck: "Give this one two blows to the face, this one too, and the next one."

According to unconfirmed reports, alcohol abuse by Russian soldiers leads to a lack of discipline, reduced operational readiness, and incidences of violence and accidents.

The British Ministry of Defense also highlighted the problem of discipline among the units fighting in Ukraine, noting this issue in its daily report on the situation at the front, as recalled by the "Daily Mail" newspaper.

Meanwhile, Moscow plans to increase the number of troops involved in the fighting in Ukraine. "We predict that by the end of the year, Russia will increase its forces in Ukraine from 660,000 to 880,000 soldiers," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Ivan Havryluk warned on Monday.

According to Havryluk, Russia is consistently expanding its military presence in the occupied territories of Ukraine. At the beginning of 2024, the number of Russian soldiers was 484,000, it is currently about 660,000, and by the end of the year, it is expected to grow to 880,000, the government official warned.

The Ministry of Defense in Kyiv predicts that the number of people designated for mobilization in Ukraine will soon reach 1 million. "Their number is about 1,025,000 now, and in a week it will exceed 1 million," said Havryluk.

In his view, the current level of mobilization does not meet the needs of the army.

"A mobilized person is not yet a soldier because it will take them three to six months to become one," emphasized the deputy minister.