Posted on 07/30/2025 2:07:24 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Russian soldiers call the practice a sacrifice to Baba Yaga, a fearsome witch from Slavic folklore who feasts on her victims.
A Russian serviceman is seen on video being tied up to a tree and abandoned to his fate – possibly death – at the hands of one of Ukraine’s large attack drones.
Why this is happening is clear from a radio intercept about a similar incident, shared with CNN, in which a Russian commander can clearly be heard ordering a subordinate be tied up in this way as punishment for desertion.
The instruction is given twice: “Hide him somewhere (while the fighting is ongoing) then take him out and tie him to a tree … in the next half hour.”
A Ukrainian drone battalion commander, says he has observed it happen twice and heard it happening on radio intercepts many more times.
“Any large Ukrainian drone they call Baba Yaga. It spreads terrible panic in these damaged people. For them, it’s some kind of scary myth that flies in and kills everyone,” the commander, who goes by the callsign Munin, told CNN.
The practice is one of a sickening array of battlefield mistreatments recorded on video either by Ukrainian surveillance drones or Russian servicemen and then circulated on social media.
As Moscow’s forces make slow but seemingly inexorable progress inside Ukraine, the videos paint a grim picture of the realities of life inside Putin’s army – a service which tens of thousands of Russian men are estimated to have fled since the start of the full-scale invasion in early 2022.
In the video, apparently filmed last winter, the man is shown in close-up, tied to a tree.
The man says he is from Kamensk-Uralsky, a city in Russia’s center, on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
weird right? questioning the practice of being sent to a meat grinder for some dictator. can’t imagine why people are upset.
According to CNN, they are “possibly white” Russians.
Tying deserters to trees so that they can be shot by the enemy IS unusual, at least in this day and age. In the U.S., we put our deserters in jail and try them for desertion.
It’s still 19th Century in Russia.
Similar consequences for that behavior in many armies
Ukrainian projection much? This isn’t even good propaganda. To many reporters on the ground recording actual life from the Russian side. Ukraine in the meantime is now conscripting 60+ year old men and all available women. So where are the brave journalists from the Ukrainian side, outside of dead?
Apparently so.
You have no idea what you are talking about. Try watching the video of a Russian soldiers being dragged behind a vehicle with his hands tied, other middle ages types of torture and come with that idiotic statement you made here. Civilization is not something you care about apparently in your lavish love for Putin and his tactics.
They haven’t heard of fragging?
They seem like nice people.
Any other excuses you want to make for Putin and his psychopathic soldiers?
What happens to Ukraine conscripts who refuse to fight for the goblohomo male prostitute?
Asking for a friend.
Putin says 5 out of 6 scientists say Russian Roulette is safe. It’s the windows you have to worry about.
In other words, Putin is the stone-cold, murderous dictator Zelenskyy is practicing to be. A pox on both of them.
Do you think we tie our soldiers to a tree for the enemy to kill?
Really?
Why don’t you find out, you seem more interested in distracting from this story.
Wrong. Ukraine is making it possible for older people to volunteer.
It’s Russia that conscripts kids.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.