Russian conscripts tortured to force participation in war - ASTRA

One of the soldiers, who served in military unit 36994 in Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod, told ASTRA that soldiers, mainly conscripts who have misbehaved, are being illegally detained and subjected to violence in a dilapidated building on the grounds of the 47th Division’s headquarters, which was established in 2022 under the 272nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment.

The illegal detention center is reportedly run by the unit's commander, Captain Bohdan Romanov.

According to the complaint, soldiers are being held in an old armory room under the supervision of military police, confined without access to water, food, or restroom facilities. They are denied medical care and are treated like "livestock".

One such detainee was a Russian conscript who had lost part of his leg in the war and was held in the room for several days.

The channel ASTRA has reported that it knows the names of four affected individuals.

The unit’s chief medical officer is aware of the abuse taking place in this torture chamber but has not reported it. Meanwhile, both the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor's Office have responded to the complaints by stating that no one is being held against their will in the unit. The source claims that these abuses are being covered up by the local prosecutor of the Mulino garrison, Kardanov.

Previously, Bloomberg reported that Russia’s growing shortage of soldiers for the war against Ukraine has prompted the country to increase recruitment bonuses to avoid another unpopular round of mobilization. However, there are few signs that this strategy is working.

It is known that the Kursk region is currently being defended by conscripts who had previously been promised by the Kremlin that they would not be deployed to the war.