(MENAFN- UkrinForm) In Ukraine's Tavria operational zone, entire groups of Russian servicemen are seen surrendering, one of the reasons for their move being the inhumane treatment by their commanders.

That's according to Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesman for the Tavria Grouping of Troops, who spoke on the air of the national telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"It should be noted that whole groups of Russian soldiers are seen surrendering. One of the reasons that the enemy does this is what I'd say is inhuman attitude on the part of their command. For refusing to deploy on pointless assaults or for other offenses, some officers would strip them naked in winter cold and hold them in cold pits, beating them and threatening them with execution," he said.

Read also: In occupied Luhansk region, Russians force locals, convicts into assault squads

The spokesman noted intelligence reports of the increasing number of cases where Russian soldiers snub orders to go on assault missions. "This is being recorded in the units of their 1st Army Corps," Shtupun said.

Answering a question about the scale of such episodes, the spokesperson said it was about small groups that openly defy orders. "But there are many invaders, much more of them now, who sabotage or simulate assault efforts," he said.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to Oleksandr Shtupun, Russia is trying to preserve valuable military hardware while pushing the infantry into the battlefield grinder.

MENAFN25122023000193011044ID1107655156