Free Republic

Russell Bentley, a self-described “Donbass Cowboy,” joined Russian forces soon after they created a proxy state in eastern Ukraine in 2014. He quickly became one of Russian propaganda’s favorite Americans, receiving a Russian passport and a gig with state-run Sputnik TV. On April 8, the 64-year-old Austin native better known under his call sign “Texas” was detained by Russian soldiers in the city of Donetsk, occupied by Russia for the past decade, according to his wife. Eleven days later, he turned up dead. He is the latest in a string of figures involved in Russia’s 2014 takeover of parts of...

Russian troops have been seen taped to trees and beaten by furious commanders as punishment for being drunk on the frontllines of Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine, new footage has revealed. Footage posted online showed the troops being tied to trees in an unknown forest near the front. A foul-mouthed officer berates the soldiers for getting drunk on duty, a major problem in Putin's ranks. He barked: 'What the f*** were you doing?' He told one: 'I think you're f***ing lost.' The officer then asked another: 'Are you a drunk too?' Then he orders an underling to beat the...

Every six months, approximately 130,000 Russian conscripts are called up for their year of service, where most of them will face sadistic hazing. In Russian, it’s called dedovshchina, a brutal internal army regime that began in Soviet times but is thoroughly embedded in modern military culture. Western militaries have worked hard to reduce bullying and hazing in the ranks with some, but not complete, success. But in Russia’s army, dedovshchina is a unique cultural staple and a formative part of the military identity. Multiple sources, both those who served in Soviet times and those with experience in the modern Russian...