- Some Russian units in Ukraine are disciplining troops by putting them in dirt pits, per the UK MOD.
- The holes in the ground are covered by metal grilles, and are makeshift dungeons called "zindans."
Russian troops say their military commanders are now disciplining soldiers by imprisoning them in holes in the ground covered by metal grilles, per the UK's defense ministry.
These pits, which are called "zindans," are being used to detain soldiers for misdemeanors, according to a Sunday intelligence report from the ministry. These offenses range from getting drunk to asking to terminate their contracts.
The "zindans" are another sign of a growing shift in the Kremlin toward "increasingly draconian initiatives" aimed at bolstering discipline among the Russian ranks in Ukraine, the UK's defense ministry said.
"In the early months of the war, many Russian commanders took a relatively light touch of enforcing discipline, allowing those who refused to soldier to quietly return home," the intelligence report said.
Much of that has changed since the autumn of 2022, and more so since Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov took command of the war effort in January, per the report.
The intelligence update comes several weeks after the independent Russian media outlet Vertska also reported that Russian troops were beaten and placed in "zindans."
One soldier, named Flarit Baitemirov, said he'd been kept in a "zindan" for more than four weeks after he was found drinking on the job with his comrades, Vertska reported on April 18.
Baitemirov has likely been deployed to the frontline in Donetsk, the outlet's editors wrote.
The soldier said he was beaten before being thrown into a 10-foot-deep pit, adding that his collarbone was injured, per the outlet.
"I am being held captive by my own Russians. I am Russian, I came as a volunteer," Baitemirov said in a video that he filmed while inside the "zindan." He pleaded for help from the Russian defense ministry, accusing his commanding officer of being "corrupt."
Astra, another independent Russian outlet, reported on April 13 that several Russian troops from a reconnaissance unit were imprisoned in "zindans" for what they said was drinking "a little beer."
Pavel Gorelov, a soldier who filmed himself with several others in the pit, said in a video uploaded by Astra that the soldiers would be caked in mud when it rained.
Gorelov also said his comrades' faces were "smashed," panning the camera to several injured men with bleeding faces. He added that they weren't fed for three days.
Like Baitemirov, he called on military prosecutors to investigate the commander who imprisoned them.
Both Gorelov and Baitemirov appear to reference commanders with similar names. Baitemirov complained about one "Colonel Poida," while Gorelov mentioned an officer named "Poido" in charge of his regiment.
It's not immediately clear if these are two separate commanders or the same man.
The Russian defense ministry's press service did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.