“Barbaric” Russian military commanders are executing their own soldiers who refuse to follow orders — and threatening entire units with death if they try to retreat from fighting in Ukraine, the Biden administration has said.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Thursday that the US has intelligence that insubordinate troops are being put to death.

“We also have information that Russian commanders are threatening to execute entire units if they seek to retreat from Ukrainian artillery fire,” Kirby went on.

[This would hardly be surprising, if true. From almost the beginning of the war, Kadyrov’s Chechen forces have been rumored to be the Kremlin’s enforcers, executing deserters and soldiers in retreat. This is what one would expect from any Russian infantry in the field, but especially one with low morale comprised mainly of conscripts and contract recruits. I wonder if Russia will bother to deny it. — Ed]