The punishment battalions deployed by Russia in its fight against Ukraine are termed as "meats" as only a few from the squad live to tell the tale of their fights. Since the second World War, Russia’s Ukraine invasion is the biggest attack on a European country and they are gathering all folks even including convicts and gangsters in its fight.
The battalions known as "Storm-Z" squads include drunk recruits, insubordinate soldiers, misfits and convicts.
One of the soldiers from army unit no. 40318 who was deployed in the city of Bakhmut told that he had given medical treatment to a group of six or seven wounded Storm-Z fighters on the battlefield, reported Reuters.
The soldier had said that the Storm-Z fighters are considered lesser than the Russian troops and in some cases are abandoned in the battlefield as well.
The Russian defence ministry recruiters will select the convicts from the prison to join the squad. Not just the convicts, those soldiers disobeying the orders, violating the protocols, and insulting superiors are made to join the squad.
Reportedly, even those caught with a little smell of alcohol are send to the Storm squads.
Storm-Z squads are said to be the part of intense battles. The units come under the direct command of the defence ministry.
Also those volunteering to fight for the nation is accommodated in the squad. According to Conflict Intelligence Team the Storm-Z squads are mainly deployed as expendable infantry. "The Storm fighters are just sent to the most dangerous parts of the front, in defence and in attack," the group told Reuters.
However, Russia has not yet acknowledged creating these 'suicide squads'. It was a US-based study in April that revealed that these squads exist. Therefore, it is unclear how many soldiers are there in the squad.
However, Storm-Z is an unofficial term used by Russian troops, combining a term for assault troops with the letter Z, that is adopted by the military as a symbol of their invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, there were also reports that the squad members were tired of the harsh treatment by their commander and were in protest that they no longer want to fight the battle. Campaigns were carried out by prisoner's right activist seeking justice for them.
