(Photo: Alexei Danichev/ Sputnik/AP

As the war in Ukraine continues, there have been numerous reports of Russian soldiers being too drunk to fight. New accounts indicate that Putin’s commanders have taken to throwing drunk Russian soldiers into makeshift cages in the ground. On Sunday, The Ministry of Defence provided details as part of its daily intelligence update.

Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported that Russian troops are likely being thrown into underground cages as a form of punishment. These makeshift dungeons are used against soldiers for being drunk or refusing to fight. These holes are called Zindans which are dug into the ground and covered with metal grilles. Russian personnel reported the use of Zindans to the MoD.

“In recent months, Russian commanders have likely started punishing breaches in discipline by detaining the offending troops in ‘Zindans’ which are improvised cells consisting of holes in the ground covered with a metal grille,” said the MoD in a statement obtained by the Independent. 

The statement continued, “Multiple recent reports from Russian personnel give similar accounts of being placed in Zindans for misdemeanors including drunkenness and attempting to terminate their contracts.” 

The MoD indicated that punishments are becoming more severe. 

“In the early months of the war, many Russian commanders took a relatively light touch in enforcing discipline, allowing those who refused to soldier to quietly return home, “ stated the MoD. “Since Autumn 2022, there have been multiple increasingly draconian initiatives to improve discipline in the force, especially since Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov assumed command of the operation in January 2023.”

Last month, a drunken soldier apparently crashed an air defense system into a ditch according to Newsweek. The piece of military equipment has an estimated value of $160 million. 

This instance among others, may be part of the reason the Russian commanders are implementing cruel forms of punishment. While drunkenness appears to be a problem for Putin’s army, the other main aspect is the Russian people’s disinterest in fighting this war. 

Read Next:

New Video Shows Supposedly ‘Drunk Putin’ Defending Russia’s Continued Attacks on Ukrainian Infrastructure

Influencers Beware – Posting About Alcohol on Social Media in This Country Could Mean Big Fines and Jail Time

Iconic Movie Moments Starring Rum

Here at Rum Raiders, we do more than write about current events in rum. We are the only media property reviewing rums and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the rum world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of rum in your morning email, sign up for our Deal of the Day newsletter