Video summary

Russian Soldiers Turn on Each Other - "We Had To Do It"

Main summary

Key takeaways

News and Commentary

Overview

The video presents a first-person account published by Novaya Gazeta (described as independent) from a Russian soldier named Daniel. Daniel says he was forced into a Russian infantry assault unit and, during a period in northeastern Ukraine near Volchansk/Kharkiv (about Feb 17 to Apr 17, 2026), witnessed his unit collapse internally—including multiple killings among Russian soldiers with no direct Ukrainian contact during parts of the incident.

Daniel’s Background and Transfer into Assault Infantry

  • Daniel initially served as an artilleryman, but after conflicts with his chain of command, he was transferred to the 82nd infantry regiment, which the video describes as a place used for punishment.
  • He describes psychological pressure around these transfers: recruits allegedly fear being sent to specific frontlines such as Volchansk.

How the Assault Unit Is Deployed (Minimal Briefing; Map-Point Movement)

Daniel describes a deployment process with little effective instruction:

  • Soldiers are moved to a deployment area and watched, but not treated as prisoners.
  • They are then told, suddenly, to leave belongings behind.
  • Daniel says they receive no real mission briefing, only coordinates/points on a map, creating uncertainty about:
    • who controls certain locations (Russian or Ukrainian),
    • whether areas may be booby-trapped,
    • and what their actual task is (for example, being sent toward a particular house without knowing why).

Supplies and Combat Conditions

Daniel outlines what assault troops receive and how conditions worsen:

  • Clothing includes spare sets (sometimes wet after crossing rivers).
  • Dry rations are shared between two men.
  • Water is limited—about a few bottles per person.
  • They carry grenades and only a small number of rifle magazines/ammunition.
  • Loadouts are paired (e.g., one soldier carries an extension cable; the other has extra radio batteries).

He emphasizes that after a river crossing, conditions deteriorate further as drone pressure increases and chaos escalates.

Drones Dominate Movement and Resupply

  • Ukrainian drones force constant movement and concealment.
  • Daniel says he and others traveled under anti-drone blankets at night.
  • During overhead drone threats (he mentions types such as “Mavic” / “Baba Yaga”), an explosion injures him. He then runs, leaving behind his partner (referred to as “grandpa” by call sign).

Resupply via FPV strike drones

Daniel reports resupply largely depends on FPV strike drones that crash into predetermined spots to scatter supplies, such as:

  • food,
  • power banks,
  • cigarettes,
  • and other small items.

As conditions worsen due to weather and drone interception:

  • the unit becomes increasingly underfed and under-supplied,
  • and prospects decline when Ukrainian forces increasingly intercept resupply drones, leaving soldiers waiting with almost nothing.

“Turning on Each Other” Killings (Inside a Dugout/House)

After receiving final directions, Daniel says the group reached an abandoned house and began scavenging supplies, unsure how long they would remain.

He claims the unit at one point included six Russian soldiers, then shrank through internal murders that—at the moments described—occur without ongoing Ukrainian engagement.

Reported sequence of killings

  1. Senya kills Shaw after Shaw had threatened/bragged about killing someone close to Senya; Senya kills him preemptively.
  2. Shmel kills or orchestrates the removal of Amelia (described as connected to Shaw’s “number two”), after which the group shrinks again.
  3. Later, Senya kills Kit, allegedly while drunk and attempting a violent act involving a machine gun; Daniel suggests the shooting went wrong.
  4. Daniel says they ultimately kill Senya because he threatens others and shoots randomly while drunk.

Final reduction of the group

By the time Ukrainian forces move through to clear/intercept the area, the group is reduced to two: Shmel and Daniel.

Daniel describes the final week as the worst due to:

  • near-starvation,
  • inability to receive resupplies,
  • intercepted deliveries,
  • and the sense that surrender becomes the only remaining survival option.

Main Theme Reported by the Video

The account is used to argue that Russia’s assault-system is breaking down, driven by:

  • imprecise briefings,
  • limited provisions,
  • drone-driven attrition,

…which, combined with isolation and desperation, contribute to:

  • unit fragmentation, and
  • violence between soldiers as Ukrainian pressure tightens.

Presenters / Contributors

  • Presenter / Narrator: (Not explicitly named in the subtitles)
  • Daniel: Russian soldier interview subject (credited via a Novaya Gazeta account)
  • Novaya Gazeta: Newspaper publishing/reporting the account (as referenced in the video)

Original video