Russian fighters recruited into Moscow's prisons have criticized their "mistreatment" by military and medical officials on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, according to a new report.
Russian soldiers recruited into the military's "Storm Z" units, which are largely made up of convicts, are being marginalized by Russian medics and commanders on the battlefield, a serving member of the "Storm Z" forces told Russia's independent news agency, Verstka, in a report published on Thursday.
At the same time, according to new leaked videos, the positions of the 72nd brigade and "Storm Z" were completely cleared in Bahmut. This operation lasted over 12 hours, the Russians were pushed back 1,800 meters.
Reports of "Storm Z" units bolstering the Russian military emerged in early April 2023. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) described the special forces as "outside the conventional structure of army units" but "connected in some way to existing Russian regiments and brigades".
The troops are being integrated into the 8th Combined Arms Army of Russia's Southern Military District and parts of the armed forces of the Russian-backed so-called Donetsk People's Republic, ISW said. But it's unclear exactly how these new units fit into the Russian military's chain of command. They are deployed in urban environments or in operations to seize key targets in "complex geographical areas", the think tank said.
These units will likely be sent to areas around the city of Donetsk and the nearby settlement of Avdiyivka, ISW said in early April.
On Saturday, the National Resistance Center of Ukraine, which is linked to the Ukrainian government, said "Storm-Z" units had gathered in the Bryansk region, near Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia.
In an updated assessment on Monday, the ISW said "Storm-Z" assault units had been sent to the area around Kupyansk.
These forces have "poor morale and discipline", the think tank said, meaning they will not be very effective against Ukrainian counter-offensive operations.
Speaking to Verstka, a Storm Z fighter said the treatment of convict units at a Russian-controlled hospital in Sevastopol, Crimea, was "disgusting", saying medical staff had made sure to "keep their distance from us [and] it's rude".
"Storm Z" fighters received "no decent treatment, no insurance payments, no medical care," the soldier said, accusing the Russian Defense Ministry of directly ordering this kind of behavior. "They talk to us like we're nothing," he added.
Convicts from Russian prisons have been targeted for recruitment campaigns by the Wagner mercenary group, known for its high-profile presence in Ukraine and the public spat between its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and Russian military officials.
