LONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters) – Multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, including fighters in the units, have revealed that Russian penal units called “Storm-Z” squads have been deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine. These squads consist of military and civilian offenders, such as drunk recruits, insubordinate soldiers, and convicts. However, very few of them survive and return to tell their stories. The squads are considered of lesser value than ordinary troops by officers and are often sent to the most dangerous parts of the front.
According to one regular soldier who served near the city of Bakhmut, Storm-Z fighters are treated as expendable and are referred to as “meat” by their commanders. While the exact formation and losses of the Storm-Z units have not been disclosed, Russian state-controlled media has reported their existence and participation in intense battles. The Russian defence ministry declined to comment on Storm-Z.
Reuters has compiled the first comprehensive account of how the squads are formed and deployed through interviews with multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter. These sources, including fighters, their relatives, and soldiers from regular units who interacted with the squads, all requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals. Reuters verified the identities of the fighters through criminal records, social media accounts, and conversations with their fellow servicemen and families.
The Storm-Z squads, consisting of 100-150 members embedded within regular army units, are often sent to the most exposed parts of the front and sustain heavy losses. At least five Storm-Z teams were identified fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine. Some fighters described nightmarish engagements resulting in significant casualties among their squads. The squads are a departure for Russia in Ukraine; while the Wagner mercenary group previously sent convicts to fight on the frontlines, the Storm-Z units come under the direct command of the defence ministry and combine convicts with regular soldiers being punished for disciplinary breaches.
The Russian defence ministry considers the Storm-Z squads as expendable infantry, useful for deployment in dangerous areas. According to a Russian independent organization tracking the war, “The Storm fighters are just sent to the most dangerous parts of the front, in defence and in attack.” Reports of the squads first emerged in April, when a leaked Russian military report on their formation was cited by the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think-tank. The total number of soldiers in the units remains unknown, but several hundred Storm-Z fighters are currently deployed on the frontline.
There is historical precedent for using military offenders in fighting units. In 1942, during the retreat of the Red Army from Nazi forces, Soviet leader Josef Stalin ordered panicked or deserting soldiers into “punishment battalions” deployed to the most dangerous parts of the front. Ukraine’s government has also released convicts to fight in the war.
One example is Artyom Shchikin, an inmate serving a two-year sentence for robbery who signed up to fight in Ukraine to wipe his criminal record clean and earn money for his family. Assigned to a penal unit within the 291st Guards Motorised Rifle Regiment, Shchikin was deployed to the Zaporizhzhia region in southern Ukraine, where his unit came under Ukrainian fire. Shchikin is currently missing, and his family’s inquiries to the defence ministry about his fate have gone unanswered.
In addition to convicts, some regular soldiers have been assigned to the Storm-Z squads as punishment for disciplinary breaches, such as being drunk on duty, using drugs, or refusing to obey orders. According to Russian military discipline legislation, soldiers can only be transferred to a penal unit if convicted by a military court. However, sources have reported that court hearings are not involved in these transfers.
Overall, the Storm-Z squads represent a significant development in Russia’s approach to the conflict in Ukraine. They are considered expendable and are deployed to the most dangerous areas of the frontlines. Despite their existence being previously reported, the details of their formation and losses have remained largely undisclosed.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
