I
Ilya
Other
A former teacher of children with special needs who served in the Russian military during the Ukraine war.
Notable Quotes
"I remember one of them screaming 'Don't shoot, I'll do anything!' but he [the commander] zeroed them anyway."View Story →
"The saddest thing is that I knew them. I remember one of them screaming 'Don't shoot, I'll do anything!' but he [the commander] zeroed them anyway."View Story →
"The saddest thing is that I knew them. I remember one of them screaming 'Don't shoot, I'll do anything!' but he [the commander] zeroed them anyway."View Story →
"I was watching them and thinking, 'How did I end up here?' I was so scared."View Story →
"'Don't shoot, I'll do anything.'"View Story →
Related Stories
'Anyone who runs is shot': Watch Russian soldiers describe killings of troops who refuse orders
The men, who are on the run, told of the horrors they witnessed on the Russian side of the front lines in Ukraine.
February 24, 2026Russia soldiers tell BBC they saw fellow troops executed on commanders' orders
Four men expose the horror and brutality of conditions in the Ukraine war, with two saying they saw soldiers being shot for refusing orders.
February 24, 2026