Ukraine war: Russian separatist troops complain of conditions at the front

Enlisted soldiers assigned to fight in Ukraine for Russia have began to rebel in front of the camera, claiming they

were transported to the battle lines without equipment, medicine, or food.

The troops, who claimed to be from the 113th rifle regiment of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, say they

have been battling for months in ‘hunger and cold’ without sufficient equipment or medical care, according to

footage shared on Telegram.

Their commander claims that men with severe medical illnesses, who should have been exempt from the draft, have

been sent into the fray alongside caregivers and families with young children.

‘The higher command interpret our complaints as sabotage,’ he says. ‘But what is there to be gained from sending

your soldiers to die?’

‘Our company, consisting of the 5th Infantry Battalion of the 113th Infantry Regiment, was on the frontlines in the

Kherson region of Ukraine.

‘For that time the personnel overcame cold and hunger and for a considerable period we did so without material

support, medical supplies or food.

‘The mobilisation of our unit took place without any medical examinations, and there are those among our unit who

in accordance with the laws of the Donetsk People’s Republic should not be mobilised.

‘There are members of our personnel who suffer from chronic diseases and others who are guardians of people with

mental illnesses.’

‘For those who are fathers to children and taking into account the duration of our continues presence on the

frontlines, many questions arise that are ignored by command.’

In the footage, the commander said: ‘Our company, consisting of the 5th Infantry Battalion of the 113th Infantry

Regiment, was on the frontlines in the Kherson region of Ukraine.

‘For that time the personnel overcame cold and hunger and for a considerable period we did so without material

support, medical supplies or food.

‘The mobilisation of our unit took place without any medical examinations, and there are those among our unit who

in accordance with the laws of the Donetsk People’s Republic should not be mobilised.

‘There are members of our personnel who suffer from chronic diseases and others who are guardians of people with

mental illnesses.’

‘For those who are fathers to children and taking into account the duration of our continues presence on the

frontlines, many questions arise that are ignored by command.’

After that, he speaks with troops who express their concerns but claim their commanders are ignoring them.

‘The higher command interpret our complaints as sabotage,’ he says. ‘Show respect for your officers. What is there

to be gained from sending your soldiers to die?’

Since the beginning of the war, Russia has occupied Kherson, a strategically important city that straddles the

Dnieper River near its confluence with the Black Sea.