Russian soldiers 'tied to a tree overnight' as punishment for refusing to fight Ukraine on front line

The organisation wrote in a Telegram post that the brother of one of the punished soldiers, along with the brothers' wives, reported the details to DSO.

According to the report, the incident took place in the illegitimately annexed Donetsk Oblast during a mobilisation drive ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The tied-up soldier, identified as Gennady Kiskorov, along with other soldiers, were tied to a tree overnight to be subjected to "torture by cold and rain" for disobeying orders.

They were reportedly not released or allowed inside until they agreed to fight on the front line.

Independent Russian investigative site Important Stories wrote Kiskorov and his brother Semyon Kiskorov were mobilised from the Siberian city of Novokuznetsk and sent to serve in a motorized rifle battalion in Donetsk.

It was reported that the brothers sent an application in late November that requested their military service be transferred to civilian work for the Russian government. However, their request was denied by a deputy battalion commander.

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The DSO wrote Gennady Kiskorov was tied to a tree on the street until he relented to "to participate in hostilities."

After one night, Gennady reportedly agreed to go to the front line. The DSO said the brothers' wives reported the crime to the military prosecutor's office, and a DSO representative notified various Russian military departments.

The incident was soon covered by local media outlets in Russia, which resulted in the commander of the Kiskorov brothers' unit demanding they renounce their claims and write a letter saying Ukrainian troops tied Gennady to the tree, according to the DSO.

The DSO said Semyon, who was likely being pressured from the command, called his wife and instructed her to withdraw her statements about the crime. His wife told the DSO that he has not contacted her since.

The group wrote: "We are very afraid for his life and health."

"Everyone understands why a person makes such calls to his wife. He is at the mercy of people who tortured people because he is defenseless, and they demand that he say exactly this.

"But [Semyon's wife] is not going to withdraw her statement."

The Russian Ministry of Defence was contacted via email by Newsweek on Tuesday night for comment.