Russian commanders are executing or deliberately sending their soldiers to their deaths for refusing to fight in Ukraine, according to a report.

The Guardian quoted an investigation by the independent Russian news outlet Verstka as stating that testimonies of serving soldiers, relatives of the dead, leaked videos and official complaint records have revealed 101 Russian servicemen accused of murdering, torturing or fatally punishing their own comrades. The outlet said it had verified at least 150 deaths, though they believed the true tally to be far higher.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, there have been multiple reports of Russian soldiers being killed by their own side and also of so-called blocking units deployed to prevent retreats.

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