“I, Daniil Andreyevich Frolkin, confess to all the crimes I committed in Andriyvka: executing civilians, stealing from citizens, confiscating their phones,” said a Russian soldier from the notorious 64th Motorized Rifle Brigade to the Russian investigative platform iStories.
Brigade fighters, along with other units, are blamed for the massacres in the Kiev suburb of Bucha. The soldiers received an honorary title from Russian President Vladimir Putin for their service near Kyiv.
Over 26,000 war crimes by Russian soldiers have been officially registered since the start of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. After almost half a year, some of the perpetrators, such as Daniil Frolkin, are now speaking out publicly.
The Russian investigative platform “iStories” and the Russian exile medium “Meduza” have published research and reports by Russians who report on their deployment in Ukraine.
There are still only a few, and yet their reports confirm accusations that have been leveled against the Russian army since the beginning of the war: That it tortures, kills, kidnaps civilians and loots their homes for no reason. That they prevent relatives from burying the dead.
The reports also confirm that many of the Russian soldiers may not have known before February 24 that they were to attack their neighboring country.
iStories journalists managed to identify Frolkin and three of his comrades – Dmitry Danilov, Ruslan Flotov and Ivan Sheplenko from the 64th motorized rifle brigade – based on eyewitness reports from Adriyvka and photos on social networks. They were stationed in the village of Andriyvka in the Kyiv region.
Frolkin initially only admitted that he drove through Andriyvka on a stolen motorcycle and that he and other soldiers looted Ukrainian shops. Local residents had told iStories, among other things, that they saw the soldier on the motorcycle. But they also reported atrocities: On March 2, Russian soldiers are said to have kidnapped the local resident Igor Yermakov. He was found dead two days later with gunshot wounds and other signs of physical violence.
On March 12, Russian soldiers reportedly killed three more men. They are said to have been suspected by the Russians of having passed information on Russian troop movements to the Ukrainian army.
Ultimately, Frolkin also admitted to having killed a local resident. He reports that he and other soldiers picked up three residents. He tells that they forced them to lead them to their homes. “In their houses, however, we saw photos of other people. That meant they didn’t take us to their actual homes,” says Frolkin.
“They had a wad of cash: hryvnia, dollars, all sorts of things. The lieutenant colonel who was with us, Alexander Prokurat, took the money for himself and gave us the rest – their documents and phones – and said, ‘Shoot them.’ And that was it – I went and shot one of the people.”
Frolkin told iStories that he had “rescued 86 people and killed one since the war began.” Frolkin hopes his comrades will be pulled out of Ukraine as a result of his confession. His “boys”, as Frolkin says, will soon be sent to the front in Kherson.
Ukraine has been planning a counteroffensive there for a long time to recapture the southern Ukrainian city. Russia has been withdrawing battalions from the Donbass to southern Ukraine ever since Ukraine made public its plans for a counteroffensive.
“It is better to destroy one life than to destroy 200-300 lives. I know all of these people. The 50 people that are left of our battalion are good guys and I don’t want their lives ruined,” Frolkin said.
Speaking to iStories, Frolkin refused to accept responsibility for the murder he committed. He added to his confession: “And I confess that our commander doesn’t care a bit about the soldiers or any infantry fighter.”
And further: “I would like to call for punishment of our commanders: Colonel Asatbek Asanbekovich Omurbekov, Lt. Col. Sergey Dmitrenko, Deputy Commander for Supply and Logistics [Vyacheslav] Klobukov and the head of the intelligence service Lt. Col. Denis Romanenko.”
33-year-old paratrooper Pavel Filatiev was one of thousands of Russians who invaded Ukraine on February 24. Two months later he resigned from the army for health reasons. Filatiev has now published a book in which he describes war as such – although it is forbidden in Russia – and condemns war.
Excerpts from his book were first published by “iStories”, then the Russian online medium “Meduza” translated passages of the book into English.
Filatiev was stationed in Crimea before the invasion, as he himself writes, and realized in mid-February “that something is definitely brewing.” He claims to have noticed that by the fact that even the decommissioned and sick were said to have been sent back to the training ground.
On February 20, Filatiew’s unit had to march, as he writes, it was unclear where. On February 23, the division commander is said to have announced that from the coming day – February 24 – the daily salary should be $69, a significant increase. “It was a clear sign that something serious was about to happen.”
At the beginning of the aggressive war, on February 24 at 2 a.m., Filatiev is said to have been on a tank “somewhere in the wilderness”, his brigade firing artillery left and right. “I couldn’t understand: are we shooting at advancing Ukrainians? Or maybe on NATO [troops]? Or do we attack? Who is this infernal shelling aimed at?” writes Filatiev.
After a while, when he and his comrades received orders to advance to Kherson, Filatiev understood that Russia had attacked Ukraine.
Once in Cherson, he and other Russian soldiers “looked in buildings for food, water, showers and a place to sleep”. Some have started stealing computers and other valuables. “I was no exception: I found a hat in a wrecked tank and took it,” he writes.
According to Filatiev, the technology was “hopelessly outdated” and the combat tactics used by the Russian army were the same as their grandfathers used.
In his opinion, most of the army is dissatisfied with what has happened, with Putin and his policies. “We had no moral right to attack another country, especially the people closest to us. When it all started, I only knew a few people who believed in the Nazis and also wanted to fight against Ukraine. We didn’t harbor hatred and didn’t see Ukrainians as enemies.”
A large part of the Russian army is dissatisfied with the Russian government, with Putin and his policies and with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
This report aligns with research by investigative media outlets Bellingcat and The Insider. Last week they gained access to an archive of complaints from Russian soldiers to Russia’s military prosecutor. In it, they accuse the Ministry of Defense of having deceived their units and forced them into combat operations in Ukraine.
A soldier who refused to sign a contract was said to have been beaten by commanders. Another soldier is believed to have been sent to Syria on a combat ship. Instead, he is said to have been “taken to Ukraine under a pretext”.
“I am 21 years old and I want to live. My commander refuses to accept my letter of resignation,” this soldier is said to have written. Relatives of Russian soldiers have also complained that the Ministry of Defense does not help them transport the remains of fallen soldiers to Russia for burial.
