Ukraine war: Russia ‘sending drunk soldiers’ to frontline to die in punishment squads

Drunk and mutinous Russian soldiers are being sent to their deaths on the front line as punishment for their bad behaviour, it has been reported.

The soldiers are being used in Storm-Z human shield squads in the most dangerous battles on the front line.

They are often sent over the trenches in waves ahead of regular soldiers and heavy armour.

“If the commandants catch anyone with the smell of alcohol on their breath, then they immediately send them to the Storm squads,” one soldier told a Reuters investigation.

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked European countries for their support during the war in an address to mark EU day in Ukraine.

In a message posted on his X/Twitter account, Zelensky said international law can “win now in Ukraine”.

“All of the support for Ukraine and every step done to assist us will return to those who support us with global security,” he added.

“When Russian aggression fails on our soil, the very idea of aggression will be defeated.”

Watch a clip from his video message below:

The move adds further strain to the country’s ties with its old ally Russia after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin over events in Ukraine.

Moscow last month called Armenia’s effort to join the ICC an “unfriendly step” and the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Armenia’s ambassador.

Countries that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute that created the ICC are bound to arrest Mr Putin, who was indicted for war crimes connected to the deportation of children from Ukraine, if he sets foot on their soil.

Armenian officials have argued the move has nothing to do with Russia and was prompted by Azerbaijan’s aggression towards the country.

Politicians voted to ratify the Rome Statute by a vote of 60-22. Armenia’s president must sign off on the decision, which will come into force 60 days after the vote.

• Kyiv inches forward in counteroffensive

The Ukrainian counteroffensive makes advances in the south east as footage shows forces making progress in the northwest of Novomayorse, 18km southeast of Veylka Novosilk.

• Ukraine downs dozens of Russia-launched drones and one cruise missile

Ukraine destroyed 29 of 31 drones launched by Russia and one cruise missile, most of them targeting the regions of Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, report the Ukrainian airforce.

• Brussels on the verge of unlocking billions in aid to Budapest

The EU is considering unlocking billions of euros for Hungary that were frozen over rule-of-law concerns as it seeks to win Budapest’s approval for aid to Ukraine including a start to membership talks for Kyiv, according to senior officials.

• Russia say they don’t need more fighters

Russia has no plans for an additional mobilisation of men to fight in Ukraine as more than 335,000 have signed up so far this year to fight in the armed forces or voluntary units, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said today.

• Armenia’s parliament has voted to join the International Criminal Court

Armenia’s parliament signed the founding statute of the ICC, subjecting itself to the jurisdiction of the court in The Hague, Russian state news agencies said.

The 25-year-old son of Yevgeny Prigozhin is set to take over from his father and become the next boss of the Wagner group.

Pavel Prigozhin appears to be inheriting the vast majority of his father’s riches – including the mercenary group, properties, and about £100 million – according to a photograph posted on social media of what seems to be Prigozhin’s will.

He is now negotiating with the Russian national guard, Rosgvardia, over having the mercenary organisation rejoin combat in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said.

Ukraine’s parliament and its speaker have taunted billionaire Elon Musk after he posted a meme on his social media platform mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s pleas for assistance from the West against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine’s defence effort, but his statements have sometimes angered Kyiv since the full-scale invasion launched by Russia in February last year.

The European Union (EU) promised Ukraine £4.3bn in military aid as part of its ongoing support in the war against Russia.

Monday’s meeting in Kyiv was touted by Mr Borrell as a historic first for the EU but it comes at an awkward time for the Western countries backing Ukraine.

With summer drawing to a close, Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed to produce the victories that Kyiv’s allies had hoped to see before mud clogs the treads of donated tanks.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, quoted by his website, said he was sure “Ukraine and the entire free world are capable of winning this confrontation. But our victory depends directly on our cooperation with you”.

The EU is considering unlocking billions of euros for Hungary that were frozen over rule-of-law concerns as it seeks to win Budapest’s approval for aid to Ukraine including a start to membership talks for Kyiv, according to senior officials.

Hungary cultivates closer ties with Russia than other EU states, and is seen as the key potential opponent to a decision due in December on whether to open accession talks with Kyiv, which would require unanimous backing of the union’s 27 members.

At stake also is a bid by the EU executive Commission to have member states contribute more to the bloc’s joint coffers, to help fund more aid to Ukraine. That decision is also expected later this year and requires unanimity.

A senior EU official told Reuters that to sway Hungary’s vote, the bloc expects to look at the status of billions of euros worth of EU handouts now frozen over concerns that Prime Minister Viktor Orban has restricted the independence of courts.

“I can’t imagine Hungary agreeing without there first being a solution to the blocked funds,” said the official.

A second EU official confirmed there was a link between releasing funds to Hungary and EU plans requiring unanimity, including enlargement and budget talks.

Sources stressed, however, a deal was not a foregone conclusion and much also depended on Orban, who is faced with economic stagnation and a widening budget deficit at home.

“Hungary needs the money urgently, which is an incentive for reform. The Commission needs Hungary to lift its vetoes on a number of issues in return,” said an EU diplomat.

“But I don’t think the Commission will or can move without any movement on reforms from Budapest.”

Russia has no plans for an additional mobilisation of men to fight in Ukraine as more than 335,000 have signed up so far this year to fight in the armed forces or voluntary units, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said today.

“There are no plans for an additional mobilisation,” Shoigu was shown telling top generals on state television. “The armed forces have the necessary number of military personnel to conduct the special military operation.”

Shoigu, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, hailed the patriotism of those who had signed up.

“Since the start of the year, more than 335,000 people have entered military service under contract and in volunteer formations,” Shoigu said. “In September alone, more than 50,000 citizens signed contracts.”

Those figures indicate that Russia has made significant progress both in signing recruits and in absorbing many fighters from the Wagner mercenary force into “voluntary formations”.

Putin ordered a “partial mobilisation” of 300,000 reservists in September last year, prompting hundreds of thousands of young men to flee Russia to avoid being sent to fight.

Ukraine worries their weapon supplies are running out- meaning they might have to take matters into their own hands, report Politico.

At the International Industries Defence Forum in Kyiv last week, the country found supporters are running out of weapons to send to Ukraine whilst others are sceptical of sending more as their own supplies dwindle, say Politico.

The managing partner at COSA Inteligence Solutions in Kyiv said: “It’s a survival issue.”

Kyiv are now working on securing deals for countries across the globe to back them to produce weapons on their own soil and become self-sufficient.