Putin's Soldiers Complain They Are Being Blackmailed Into Fighting—Video

A video circulating on social media appears to show Russian soldiers complaining that they are being blackmailed by their commanders into fighting President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

"A video from the much-loved category 'Russian servicemen's complaints.' In this episode - Russians complain to Putin and FSB that they are being blackmailed by their own commanders," a Twitter user and leading tracker of the Ukraine war tweeted along with the shared clip. It has been viewed more than 235,000 times.

Last month, another Russian regiment in Ukraine asked for more equipment and medical supplies for its fighting in a desperate video appeal. Russia's forces have been preparing for a harsh struggle this winter after experiencing significant military setbacks in the war, which is in its 11th month.

In the Twitter video, Russian soldiers are shown standing in an ice- and frost-covered trench. "January 10, 2023, 392nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 10th Company," the cameraman says, introducing his unit. He pans the camera to show his fellow soldiers standing in the trench.

"Here are our wonderful positions, prepared. In the opinion of our command, we should f***ing live here," the Russian soldier said. "Initially, our command offered us to move to a prepared position."

He said that at the time of filming, the temperature in Ukraine was -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit.) The soldier continued: "And we are offered to live here in the ice."

He said that the unit's command has been "blackmailing them."

"They do not give us the opportunity to receive medical care and access to provisions until we move to these positions," the soldier said. He appealed to the Russian military prosecutor's office, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and Putin himself to take action.

The unit believes its treatment by commanders "undermines the combat capability of our army," the soldier said. "Minus 20 degrees of frost. The guys here will simply freeze, get sick...who will fight at all? We will not even have time to fight with anyone."

He went on: "Initially, when we arrived here in the zone of the special military operation we were told that we could come to the prepared positions, and that's how these positions are prepared." Once again, he pointed his camera to show the icy conditions.

"The command reports that the funds are over. Moreover, they are not shy in expressions and tell us in our faces that the money was simply stolen. And now they want us to move here," the Russian soldier said.

Soldiers in his unit bought equipment with their own money and made their own roofs while at another location, he said. "We dug everything ourselves, shovels—all our own, nothing was provided to us. Periodically, there are problems with water, provision supplies."

He continued: "The command is not embarrassed in expressions, they are simply blackmailing us. We ask you to make this public so that the media, public pay attention to it and the corresponding security structures."

He said, "Guys, it's just our company will lie down here, without having a chance to meet the enemy."

Newsweek reached out to Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment.

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