Russian Soldier Describes Being 'Sent to Slaughter' After Minimal Training

A Russian soldier has described how he was sent to the frontline in Ukraine after only getting minimal training, in a video that has gone viral.

Ukrainian internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko posted the clip on X (formerly Twitter) of the unnamed Russian serviceman describing how he had been "sent to slaughter" in the war.

The video, which as of Saturday, had received more than 225,000 views, is the latest account from a member of Vladimir Putin's personnel who have complained about poor training, leadership and morale. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry about the claims. We have yet to verify the video.

It comes as Russia suffers huge losses in the offensive it launched in October towards Avdiivka, in the Donetsk oblast, which has seen a spike in troop deaths, according to Ukrainian and Western estimates.

The video was posted on the pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Brati Yakovlevi whose YouTube channel has a series of videos of Russian troops who have voluntarily surrendered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The YouTube channel says that it is showing "the real situation in Ukrainian captivity and calls on the families and friends of the Russian military to surrender."

The clip of the soldier, whose named is bleeped out and whose location is not given, shows him describing how he and his comrades were given automatic rifles and driven to a firing range.

"There, I fired two or three times and, after four days, we were sent to slaughter, to war," the soldier said. "We were told, 'now, you'll just come and sit in defense. Stay a little bit. Strengthen positions, then you'll immediately retreat.'

"As it turned out, we came, sat in defense for a day or two, and that was it. We were sent directly to the front line," the soldier added.

He said that he had been wounded and bandaged up, and was in hospital for about five days before being discharged. "You're nothing without a military ID," the soldier added.

"Russian soldiers tell about 'meat assault,'" wrote Gerashchenko next to the video. "Imagine millions of soldiers who do not value their lives and the lives of others. Armed, brutalized by years of war. Who will hold them back? Ukraine is running out of weapons."

Faced with high losses, Putin said last month that no further mobilization was needed because 486,000 soldiers voluntarily signed up last year. However, in July, Russia extended the age for compulsory military service by three years, from 18 to 27, to 18 to 30. Putin issued a decree on Thursday for foreign nationals who fight for Russia in Ukraine to get Russian citizenship for themselves and their families.

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