The Russian military is executing soldiers who do not follow orders related to the Ukraine war, the White House has said. The soldiers who have retreated from the offensive in eastern city of Adviika, in the Donetsk region, have faced the harsh punishment, Nikkei quoted White House spokesperson John Kirby as saying. The war started in February 2022 after Russia invaded its neighbour, but shows no signs of ending as both sides have intensified attacks to gain control of the contested regions.
"We have information that the Russian military has been actually executing soldiers who refuse to follow orders," Mr Kirby said at a press briefing on Thursday.
"We also have information that Russian commanders are threatening to execute entire units if they seek to retreat from Ukrainian artillery fire," he further said.
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have been involved in brutal fight in the Donetsk for several weeks. Kyiv has claimed that Russian army has been forced to regroup after suffering 400 casualties a day while trying to recapture a key town.
Mr Kirby said the soldiers mobilised by Russia were untrained, underequipped and unprepared for combat. He added that the military was using "human wave tactics" by throwing groups of poorly trained soldiers into the fight.
The White House spokesperson said threats to execute the soldiers was barbaric.
"I think it's a symptom of... how poorly Russia's military leaders know they're doing and how bad they have handled this from a military perspective," he said.
This latest unveiling of intelligence about Russia comes on a day when the US announced a new $150 million military assistance package for Ukraine that includes artillery and small-arms ammunition as well as anti-tank weapons.
The latest package "utilises assistance previously authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years", the Pentagon said in a statement.
"The Biden administration calls on Congress to meet its commitment to the people of Ukraine by passing additional funding to ensure Ukraine continues to have what it needs to defend itself against Russia's brutal war of choice," the statement said.
The package also includes air defence missiles, night vision devices, demolitions munitions and cold weather gear.
US officials have spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging a coalition to back Kyiv after Russia invaded and coordinating aid from dozens of countries.
