Russia Executes Soldiers Who Refuse to Comply With Orders, White House Says

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said it indicates Russian military leaders’ desperateness in making progress and mishandling of pressure.

Ukrainian soldiers ride on an armoured vehicle near the recently retaken town of Lyman in Donetsk region on Oct. 6, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yasuyoshi Chiga/AFP via Getty Images

Russia is executing soldiers who do not comply with orders and threatens entire units with death if they flee the Ukrainian battlefield, the White House said on Thursday.

This is the latest allegation of instability in Moscow’s military leadership 20 months into its war against Ukraine.