A bunch of Russian fighters, who were sent to the most risky places on the frontlines, have decided not to fight for Vladimir Putin as a way to show their dissatisfaction with the terrible conditions they have to endure.
The groups called ‘Storm-Z’ squads are made up of a combination of prisoners from Russian prisons and soldiers who have been demoted as a form of punishment for being accused of being either drunk or on drugs.
Their job is not complicated, as told by five fighters and eight people who have worked closely with or next to them. These men are sent to the most dangerous war zones.
And it is very likely that they will face a certain outcome.
“Ignoring the storm, these soldiers are expendable,” said a regular army member from unit number 40318 was sent to the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine in May and June, where there was a lot of fighting.
He said he didn’t listen to a commander who told him to leave a group of injured fighters behind. The commander wanted them to get medical help on the battlefield.
The commander ordered to leave their own soldiers behind, and it’s unclear why. The commander said it shows that Storm-Z fighters are thought of as less important than regular troops by officers.
A group called Storm-Z, who were brought together from prisons in Russia, have decided that they do not want to continue fighting in Ukraine.
The soldier, who didn’t want his identity revealed because he was afraid of getting in trouble in Russia for talking about the war, said he felt sorry for the men. He explained that if the commanders find out that any of the soldiers have been drinking alcohol, they will be quickly sent to the Storm squads.
But the harsh way they are mistreated caused a rebellion among a group of Storm-Z fighters who decided they had reached their limit.
Three months ago, there was a group of about 150 men who belonged to unit number. The number 22179 was badly hurt, tired and only about 20 of them were still alive.
Only a few survived and shared their story, and those men were proof of that. On June 28, they made a video to explain why they won’t keep fighting.
A soldier said: ‘After the really tough fights, after all the things we saw, these are the people who are still here.
On the place where we were fighting, we didn’t receive any bullets or weapons. We didn’t receive any water or food. The people who got hurt were not taken away. Even until now, the bodies of the deceased are decaying.
We must follow terrible orders that are not worth doing. Now, they came and told us, “Hey, we have to go to the front. ”
‘Once again we are being put in a difficult situation, just like before. ‘ And we will never come back from this.
He said more words. ‘We do not want to keep doing fights. ‘
What happened as a result of the mutiny. Some of the fighters were punished by getting beaten up by Russian military police officers, as reported by two relatives of the men.
Putin mentioned at a public meeting on television with a small group of Russian soldiers that convicts are fighting in the regular army.
He said he knew that two of their friends, who had been in prison before, were killed in action.
“Putin said that those people sacrificed their lives for their country and have completely freed themselves from their guilt. He also mentioned that the families of the convicts will receive assistance, without providing more details. ”
But the harsh truth is that these men are facing brutal conditions on the ground. At least five Storm-Z teams have been identified as fighting against the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the east and south.
Three out of the five Storm-Z fighters and three other family members shared stories about terrible battles where most of their teams were killed.
One person who was in jail for stealing and was chosen to be a fighter, said that almost all of the 120 men in his group with the 237th regiment were either killed or injured in a battle close to Bakhmut in June.
What are the Russian Storm-Z units?
Storm-Z units are controlled by the Russian defense ministry. They are made up of people in trouble with the law or the military. These people choose to fight in exchange for a promise that they will be forgiven for their crimes.
They are considered helpful because they can be used as replaceable soldiers, as stated by Conflict Intelligence Team, an independent group that is monitoring the war.
‘The Storm fighters are sent to the riskiest areas of the battlefront for both defense and offense. ‘ the group stated.
The Russian defense ministry has never admitted to creating Storm-Z units, but the first reports of their existence came out in April. The Institute for the Study of War, a think-tank in the US, mentioned a leaked Russian military report about the formation of these squads.
Russian media that is controlled by the government has said that there are these groups called Storm-Z squads. These squads have been in some very intense fights, and some of the members were given medals for being brave. However, the media hasn’t said anything about how these squads are made, or how many people they have lost in battles.
Artyom Shchikin, a 29-year-old man from Mordovia in central Russia, was in jail for robbing someone. He had been given a two-year sentence in December 2021. While he was in jail, recruiters from the defense ministry visited and asked the prisoners if they wanted to go fight in Ukraine. This information comes from court documents and two of his relatives.
He decided to join because he wanted to erase his criminal record and make money for his family to renovate their home. He was supposed to be released in December, but he wanted a fresh start. His family confirmed this.
Three Storm-Z fighters claimed that they were promised to be paid around 200,000 roubles (£1,675) per month, but in reality, they were receiving only half of that amount on average.
In May this year, Shchikin was given a job in a prison unit in the 291st Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment and sent to the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine. There, Kyiv’s forces are trying to get past the Russian defenses.
Shchikin’s family last spoke to him on June 18. According to the relatives, two survivors from Shchikin’s squad told them that a few days later, their unit was attacked by Ukrainians.
According to the family, three friends who were in a trench with him passed away, one lost his hand, and Shchikin himself is now missing. They haven’t found his body.
Shchikin’s family members said that when they asked the defense ministry about what happened to him, they either didn’t get a response or received unclear answers.
‘They were part of a team called Storm. ‘ They don’t think anyone will hurry, said a family member.
After the soldiers rebelled and refused to keep fighting, two fighters informed their families that things had gotten better. However, they were uncertain about when they would be able to leave the military.
In Russia, a soldier can only be sent to a special unit for punishment if they are found guilty by a military court.
None of the people interviewed said that the soldiers involved in the Storm-Z units had gone to court.
Last week, the soldier from group number. 40318 said that there were no legal proceedings or trials involved in these transfers.
The Geneva convention is a collection of global rules for war. However, it does not include regulations for soldiers getting punished by their own group.
Several Russian individuals have been asked to share their thoughts on the matter, but they declined, including an officer from unit number. 40318 is a number, and there is a person who works for the main office of a group called the regimental headquarters.
The Kremlin didn’t answer the questions and told us to ask the Russian defense ministry. The defense ministry hasn’t replied to our request for a comment.
Russian officials have not said anything publicly about the situation involving the Storm-Z squad, who decided to stop fighting.
Ukraine’s government has mentioned that they release certain prisoners if they agree to participate in the war.
The relative of a soldier who was part of the revolt, a man from Siberia who chose to join Storm-Z while in prison, mentioned that she was very worried about updates from the battlefield.
She said, “Please let this finish quickly, oh God. ”
Last week, it was revealed that Putin has enrolled 130,000 new soldiers, including some who are only 18 years old.