New Telegram footage reveals a Russian soldier encased in plastic and hanging from a tree during a physical assault by a commander. This incident reflects a broader pattern of internal violence within the Russian military during the war in Ukraine.

The cling-film cocoon and forest beatings

The footage released on Telegram depicts a Russian serviceman wrapped in layers of cling film, forming a cocoon-like shell while suspended upside down in a forest.. As the man hangs helplessly, a commander is seen repeatedly slapping him across the face. The report notes that while the soldier groans in pain, fellow troops can be heard laughing and encouraging the abuse.

This specific act of violence appears to be part of a wider culture of corporal punishment used to enforce discipline. According to the report, these types of abuses often target soldiers for infractions such as refusing orders, attempting to remain on sick leave, or abandoning what are described as suicide missions.

Anne Keast-Butler’s 500,000 casualty warning

Internal military brutality is occurring against a backdrop of massive human losses on the battlefield.. GCHQ head Anne Keast-Butler disclosed in her inaugural annual lecture that nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the conflict began. This figure represents a significant increase over previous estimates, such as the 350,000 deaths calculated earlier this month by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The discrepancy in casualty figures highlights the difficulty of tracking the true cost of the war. As Keast-Butler noted, the staggering scale of these losses places immense pressure on the Kremlin, even as commanders turn to violence to maintain control over their remaining personnel.

The 132nd Brigade and 'meat storm' tactics

Reports of extreme discipline include footage allegedly from the 132nd Brigade, where soldiers were seen being duct-taped to trees or forced to bark like dogs. In one harrowing clip, a commander threatened a soldier with a "pancake"—a term used for an explosive mine—after the man complained of broken ribs. Such incidents are often linked to "meat storm" battles, where troops are sent into high-casualty positions until they are depleted.

The methods of punishment described in the report are varied and increasingly sadistic. Other documented instances include forcing soldiers to eat dirt, electrocuting troops, and making men crawl through mud while being struck. these tactics appear to be a response to the high attrition rates and the difficulty of managing troops in high-stress combat environments.

What triggered the 132nd Brigade's specific violence?

While the patterns of abuse are well-documented, the specific motivations behind many of these individual acts remain unverified. It is currently unclear what specific infraction led to the soldier being wrapped in cling film, or if the commanders featured in these Telegram videos represent the standard operating procedure for the entire Russian military. Furthermore,the report does not clarify if the victims of these beatings were targeted for political dissent or simple battlefield errors.