Putin Follows the Stalin Playbook With Nightmarish Punishment Battalions

During World War II, Joseph Stalin imposed a draconian punishment for soldiers who retreated or left their posts without authorization: they would be made to join “punishment battalions” which would in turn be deployed in the most dangerous parts of the front, effectively a death sentence.

This year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has resurrected the practice of throwing penal units into battle, according to a report, with so-called “Storm-Z” squads shipped off to sites of some of the most intense fighting in Ukraine. As with their Soviet predecessors, those who find themselves in such squads allegedly face extreme, as well as disregard from commanders who view their lives as less important than ordinary troops.

According to a Reuters report, the penal units consist of between 100 and 150 members and are made up of both civilian and military offenders. The units are embedded within regular Russian army units and have typically been sent to “the most exposed parts of the front and often sustain heavy losses,” sources familiar with the squads said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.