How Russia’s War Machine Brutalizes and Exploits Its Own Soldiers
Confidential complaints filed by troops and their families reveal patterns of wrongdoing in the ranks that are hidden from the Russian public.
Ex-Convicts
They Demanded Democracy. Years Later, They Are Still Paying the Price.
Thousands of young people lost careers, friends and dreams after taking part in mass antigovernment protests that erupted six years ago in Hong Kong.
Ukraine Is Still Grappling With the Battlefield Prigozhin Left Behind
He shored up Russian forces at their most vulnerable and drew Ukraine into a costly fight for Bakhmut, giving Moscow time to build defenses that are slowing Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
A Convict’s Life in Russia’s Army: ‘We Are Not Human to Them’
In an account provided to The Times, a Russian soldier describes his commanders’ casual disregard for the lives of inmates like him, and how they are pressured to re-enlist.
A Captured Russian Soldier’s Story: ‘They Just Sent Us to Die’
An inmate hoped to start over with a clean slate by fighting in Ukraine. Instead, he was confronted by the drudgery of trench work and the terror of battle. “You’re going in as meat,” he said he was told.
Wagner Fighters Left as Convicts. Will Russia Bury Them as Heroes?
As thousands of ex-prisoners fight and die in Ukraine, honoring their memory is becoming a patriotic imperative in Russia. But some committed crimes their old neighbors cannot forget.
‘Our Losses Were Gigantic’: Life in a Sacrificial Russian Assault Wave
Poorly trained Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine describe being used as cannon fodder by commanders throwing waves of bodies into an assault.