Russian troops have described witnessing fellow soldiers being executed for refusing to obey orders, in a new BBC documentary titled The Zero Line: Inside Russia’s War. The men report being tortured for declining to take part in assaults they describe as suicide missions in Ukraine.
Dima, a 34-year-old former dishwasher repairman who served as a paramedic, said he saw comrades executed on the order of a highly decorated commander and saw the bodies of 20 others in a pit after being “zeroed” – Russian slang for executing one of your own. “Just murders, just click, clack, bang. It’s not a drama, it’s not a movie, it’s real life,” he said. The men were all ex-convicts and had their bank cards taken before being killed.
Dima called his commander, Alexei Ksenofontov, a “butcher”. Ksenofontov was awarded the Gold Star and made a “Hero of Russia” in 2024, but families of men who died in his unit have denounced him and called on President Vladimir Putin to investigate allegations of brutality. The actions are carried out against men who refuse orders, including being sent to the frontline as part of a “meat storm” – a tactic of sending waves of men to wear down Ukrainian forces.
Denis, another former soldier, said: “I saw them send wave after wave, throwing men like meat at the Ukrainians, so they run out of ammo and drones and another wave can reach their objective.” Dima witnessed a “meat storm” that resulted in 200 dead in three days, destroying his regiment. Ilya, 35, who worked in a command post, provided a list of 79 men he was mobilised with, of which he is the only survivor. He personally saw four people shot at point-blank range after fleeing the front line.
Ilya described being tortured and urinated on, while others were starved and forced into missions unarmed. Before the war, he taught children with special needs and autism. Dima, who was promoted to officer, said he was tortured for 72 days, including with electric shocks, for refusing to send his men on a meat storm. “Just torture only, every day with a stone face. No emotions, it’s crazy,” he said.
The Russian government stated that its armed forces “operate with utmost restraint, as far as possible under the conditions of a high-intensity conflict, treating their personnel with maximum care”, adding that allegations of violations are “duly investigated”. However, it said it could not independently verify the information provided.
