Russian Soldiers Asked To Dig Up Trenches Using Spoons; Sent To Ukraine Without Training

Russian soldiers deployed to fight in the war in Ukraine are being asked to dig up trenches using only spoons, according to a report.

Russian soldiers in the city of Lysychansk in Ukraine's Luhansk region were initially ordered to dig trenches amid constant shelling from Kyiv's army. The soldiers, who were not given shovels, were later forced to dig trenches using camping spoons, per the independent online newspaper The Insider, citing the relative of a Russian fighter.

"My brother told me that they were not even given shovels. They were just told to sit and wait for the tools," the soldier's relative, identified by the outlet as Yekaterina, said.

"Eventually they were divided into small groups. They found abandoned cabins and settled there to wait for their superiors. They didn't even have any food - no dry rations were given to them. They boarded up the windows, stripped the flooring and dug a small hole to provide cover in case of an attack. They had to dig with camping spoons."

This is not the first time Russia has been accused of forcing soldiers to dig trenches despite a lack of proper equipment. In November of last year, TV Rain, a Russian-language independent television channel, reported that soldiers on the frontline were asked to dig trenches using their bare hands.

Russian fighters also said they were sent to the frontlines despite not having adequate military training. Yaroslav, a Russian soldier who served in a military unit in Chebarkul, said their training camps were converted into tent camps where mobilized men were allowed to constantly drink alcohol.

"To prevent them from leaving the base, they were allowed to collect money and rent a Gazelle truck, which was used to bring in daily supplies of alcohol, cigarettes, and meat. The truck drove to the base every day, constantly filled to the brim," Yaroslav told The Insider.

"They spent two to three months indulging in food and drinks, and then were dispatched to Ukraine with such 'fine' training. Not once did I witness them firing a shot or undergoing any military training."

Yaroslav added that due to the lack of training, only a few of the 500 mobilized men are still alive after spending two weeks in combat zones in Ukraine.

As of Sunday, Russia has lost a total of 186,420 soldiers, including 690 troops killed over the past day, according to estimates from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.