Russian Wives Say Soldiers Given 'Punishment for the Truth' After Video

The wife of a Russian soldier who claimed in a video appeal that his unit is being blackmailed by their commanders into fighting in Ukraine has said that the men were sent to the front lines as "punishment" for telling the truth.

A video circulated on social media this week showed Russian soldiers complaining that they are being forced to live in icy trenches in freezing temperatures. In the video, Russian soldiers are shown standing in an ice- and frost-covered trench.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces have been preparing for a harsh struggle this winter after experiencing a string of military setbacks in the war, which began last February.

"January 10, 2023, 392nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 10th Company," the cameraman said in the video, introducing his unit.

He panned the camera to show his fellow soldiers standing in the trench, saying that the temperature in Ukraine was -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit.) The soldier continued: "And we are offered to live here in the ice."

The Russian soldier said that the unit is being "blackmailed" by its commanders.

"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 wife of one of the men shown in the video told local news outlet Vashim Novosti that the unit was subsequently sent to the front lines as punishment for their appeal.

"The indignant guys, including my husband, were summoned yesterday to talk with the colonel. Under this pretext, they were taken away in an unknown direction. Today I received information that they are already at the front lines. This is our punishment for the truth," she said.

The woman, along with other wives of the soldiers of the unit, wrote to the military prosecutor's office about the issue, according to the news outlet.

The unit, mobilized and formed in Russia's Krasnodar region, had reportedly been at the front lines for 20 days prior to recording the video, and many fell ill as they were unable to make a fire. They were transferred to the trenches upon their return.

The Russian soldier filming the video said his unit believes their treatment "undermines the combat capability of our army."

"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," the soldier said. "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."

He added, "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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