While Russia’s military has denied involvement in a deranged scheme in which Russian troops were literally locked in basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine, the families of captives have identified top Russian officials as the culprits. The independent outlet The Insider reports that a soldier who escaped in the town of Bryanka in occupied Ukraine identified one of those involved as Colonel Oleg Nicheporenko of the 51st Air Defense Division. The soldier, who was not identified, said Nicheporenko had been involved in trying to coerce troops who refused to fight to join the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked private military force known for numerous war crimes allegations. Wagner Group mercenaries have also reportedly been involved in guarding the captive troops in Bryanka. The second Russian military official allegedly involved in the scheme was identified as Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Yuryevich Tumanov, who captives say serves as a deputy to none other than Colonel General Sergei Kuralenko, the head of Russia’s Military Police.
