As Summer Offensive Fails, Russia Recruits "Blocking Troops" To Prevent Retreats

Unnerved by the rising casualties from the Kremlin's highly touted but largely thwarted summer offensive, Russian commanders are actively recruiting more soldiers to serve as blocking or barrier troops whose job is to prevent front line soldiers from retreating and, if necessary shooting them to set an example.

Russia has used such troops at various times during the invasion of Ukraine - a task frequently performed by Chechens noted for their brutality if not for their ability in battle. The reemergence of this practice suggests that reports of desertions, mutiny and even attacks on commanders are true and increasing. JL

Alisa Orlova reports in the Kyiv Post:

Russian commanders are openly recruiting soldiers to serve in barrier troops, units that block retreats using the threat or use of lethal force against their own soldiers. It echoes Soviet-era tactics during World War II, specifically Stalin’s Order 227 (“Not one step back!”), which involved shooting retreating soldiers. Russia is reviving such tactics due to growing casualties, collapsing morale, and widespread fear among its troops.  Ukrainian intelligence has repeatedly intercepted calls highlighting psychological stress, infighting, and disregard for human life among Russian troops. In a Ukrainian interception of a Russian call, soldiers openly mock the situation, accusing commanders of losing control.

Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) has released an intercepted phone call suggesting that Russian commanders are openly recruiting soldiers to serve in so-called barrier troops – units tasked with blocking retreats, a practice widely condemned as a war crime.

In the audio, one Russian soldier describes how recruiters recently visited their unit asking for volunteers to join the barrier troops.

“They came to us – we told them to f*** off, basically, we didn’t go anywhere,” the soldier says. “Our guys were shocked, we told them all to f*** off — like, are they crazy or what?”

 

The second soldier reacts by calling the recruiters “total f***ing scumbags” and adds: “They should be shot right away.”

 

The men continue to discuss how rumors about the recruitment drive are spreading across Russian positions.

“Yeah, I’ve heard about this crap too, it came up here,” the second soldier says. “No one’s come to us yet, but we’ve already heard they’re going around asking.”

Barrier troops, by design, are intended to block retreats with the threat or use of lethal force against their own soldiers – this practice is considered illegal under international humanitarian law.

It echoes Soviet-era tactics during World War II, specifically Stalin’s Order 227 (“Not one step back!”), which involved shooting retreating soldiers – a policy broadly condemned today as a war crime.

 

In the intercepted call, one of the soldiers openly mocks the situation, accusing commanders of losing control.

“Are they completely f***ing losing it or what?” the soldier says. “Sending people to shoot their own… those bastards should be shot first.”

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence has repeatedly reported that Russia is reviving such tactics due to growing casualties, collapsing morale, and widespread fear among its troops.

 

Russia has not commented on the reported use of barrier units.

Ukrainian intelligence agencies have repeatedly intercepted calls that highlight extreme psychological stress, infighting, and disregard for human life among Russian troops. 

Earlier last year, Kyiv Post interviewed “Maria” who works as one of Ukrainian intelligence’s professional eavesdroppers and spoke about the shocking things she hears.

Russia regularly dismisses the content of intercepted calls published by Ukraine, saying they are fake, a claim Kyiv Post put to Maria. She said: “They are all are real even though they might seem insane. Sometimes I can’t believe the words I’m hearing myself, but we have what we have.”

Kyiv Post regularly reposts some of the most revealing and shocking intercepted conversations.