A Russian TV reporter who quit his state-propaganda channel in protest over the brutal war in Ukraine has been thrown into a “punishment pit” by Vladimir Putin’s sadist forces.
Ilya Andreyev, 42, left his position on Channel One at the start of the war last year because he refused to churn out propaganda nonsense in support of Mad Vlad’s invasion.
As a result, he found himself blacklisted from other jobs. A couple of months ago, out of money and in debt, he signed up for the army after being assured he’d be based in Moscow and away from the Russia-Ukraine frontline.
READ MORE: Graphic moment Russian soldier is blown up in desolate, body-filled Ukrainian wasteland
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But he was “conned” and sent to Ukraine almost immediately, his wife said. “[He was promised that] he would serve in Moscow – that’s the only reason my husband agreed,” said Yana, who’s also a TV reporter.
Earlier this month, Ilya requested time off to renew his outdated identity documents. But local commanders in annexed Luhansk refused and accused him of “desertion” and “insubordination”.
They threw him into the “punishment pit” for refuseniks, and at one point tied him to a tree to prevent him escaping. Punishment pits are commonly used for those who oppose Putin’s illegal war.
Yana went to Luhansk to find him and seek his release. He was allowed out of the hole in the ground – but he was then arrested and accused of seeking to leave the conflict zone.
His wife said his guards “used violence against Ilya” and “spoke horribly to him”. And last week – using a borrowed phone – he called his wife to say he was being moved to the village of Zaitseve in annexed Ukraine.
Zaitseve is notorious for basements where cruel Russian forces detain soldiers who refuse to fight in the war. Reports say 110 men are forcibly held here.
Independent media outlet Meduza said: “The soldiers held there are threatened, fed irregularly or not fed at all, deprived of bathrooms and basic hygiene products, and tortured.”
A further report said Ilya had since been moved to a training base in Russia which is used by Putin’s forces to “convince” refuseniks to go to the front line.
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