Torture and theft. Interview with a Russian official

The Russian military man, who fought in Ukraine and fled the Russian Federation, gave an interview to Western journalists.

Konstantin Yefremov is the first Russian official to agree to an open interview for the Western press. With the help of photographs and military documents provided by him, the BBC publication confirmed that Yefremov was indeed in Ukraine at the beginning of the war, specifically in the city of Melitopol, Zaporozhye region.

The man said that he tried many times to leave the Russian army of his own free will, but in the end, because of his refusal to fight in Ukraine, he was fired. Now he fled to Russia.

Efremov was a senior lieutenant and commanded the demining platoon of the 42nd motorized rifle division stationed in Chechnya.

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“In this position, I left for exercises, at that time we knew that these were exercises. On February 10, 2022, I arrived in Crimea at the training ground. No one believed that there would be a war. Everyone believe that there will be exercises. Even senior officers I’m sure they don’t know,” he said.

How the war began

Efremov specified that he was in Dzhankoy.

“Early in the morning of February 24, they heard the roar of artillery. All doubts disappeared: the war had begun,” he added.

Konstantin described how the Russian military painted the letter Z on the equipment with white paint and taped the leg and arm as identification marks.

According to the Air Force, Efremov, during an interview, convinced journalists of his anti-war position. On February 24, he allegedly realized that he did not want to be a participant in the war and went to the chief of staff in Crimea.

“The chief of staff scolded me, called me a traitor, a traitor, a coward. He said he was going to shoot me in the leg. I listened to him, turned around and left. I left my weapon with my immediate commander, I got it. I got into a taxi and leave. I decided … to get to the location of the unit, which is in Grozny, write a letter of resignation and go through the dismissal procedure. But before I could get away, my comrades, colleagues called me. , they said lined up by colonel all the staff and told them about what I did, promised to jail me from seven to 10 years for desertion and said he gave my details to the police,” the Russian official said.

Then, according to him, he returned to Dzhankoy and wrote a letter of resignation of his own free will. But the commanders refused to accept him.

“For three years before this war, I was engaged in demining the Chechen land, having survived two wars. I loved my work, I believed that I was useful,” he added.

They stole everything

Despite the protest, according to Efremov, he was placed in temporary command of a rifle platoon in a consolidated battalion. On February 27, he received orders to advance toward mainland Ukraine.

“We got into cars and moved in a column to the border, crossed it and, without stopping, moved all the way to Melitopol,” he said.

Efremov spent the next 10 days at a military airport, which was captured by Russian troops.

“There I saw the first cases of theft. All the soldiers and officers were dragged one after another. I saw how they climbed all the planes, utility rooms. One soldier took a lawn mower from if where and said in a proud voice: “I’ll take it home, let’s cut the grass near the barracks.” They dragged all the unnecessary garbage, buckets, axes, bicycles, loaded it all into their Kamaz trucks,” added Konstantin.

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Then, for about a month and a half, he was assigned to guard a Russian artillery unit in the Zaporozhye region.

“We slept on the street all this time. We were hungry, we hunted hares, pheasants. We saved water. Well, we ended up in such difficult conditions,” the former military man recalled.

Ukrainian military interrogations

In April, Konstantin’s unit was assigned to guard the “rear headquarters” in the city of Bilmak, Zaporozhye region. There, according to him, they were actively engaged in the interrogation of captured Ukrainians.

“One day, three Ukrainian prisoners of war were brought there. One of them admitted that he was a sniper. With these words, the colonel’s eyes lit up. He beat him, pulled down his pants, asked if you were married ? The colonel said, bring a mop, now we will make a woman out of you and send a video to your wife, “said Konstantin.

“Once the colonel asked a prisoner, tell me the nationalists, who do you know in your regiment, platoon. And the man did not understand the question, we, said the sailors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For this, beaten he was a colonel, several teeth were removed,” recalled the former Russian soldier.

According to him, the Russian colonel put a gun to the head of a blindfolded man, and said: “I will count to three now, and then I will shoot you in the head.”

“I thought, then I shot near the head. To the left or right of the head. It would cut near one ear, then the other. He was stunned, and he did not hear what questions the colonel was asking. And he began to scream. I said, Comrade Colonel, he He does not hear you, you are stunned. He tells me: he is deceiving. These interrogations, tortures lasted a week. Every day or night, sometimes twice a day, they’re bringing him,” he said.

The prisoners were kept in a garage and given only water and bread.

Departure from Russia

A few weeks later, Konstantin returned to his breeding company in Crimea. But, as it happened, it didn’t last long.

“Six people and I made a decision (to retire from the army – ed.). We left directly from the forest where we were deployed to Dzhankoy. And then on our own. A friend from Vladikavkaz came for me, he took me. On May 27, I came to his military unit in Grozny, in Khankala, and wrote a report … They began to convince me. The officers told me, that one day not in Ukraine, that I am a coward. and a traitor. They did not let me resign of my own free will, they failed me for the position of dismissal,” he said.

BBC journalists reported that Yefremov showed them letters from the military leadership, in one of which he was accused of “evading military service duties” and disobeying an order to return in Ukraine. This is described as “committing a serious disciplinary offence.” Another document refers to “early dismissal from military service … for failure to fulfill the terms of the contract.”

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After the “partial mobilization” announced in September 2022, Efremov realized that they would not abandon him.

The employees of the military registration and enlistment office came specially, were on duty, and watched over me at my house. I rented an apartment and hid in the rented apartment. I hid from my neighbors because the witch hunt had started, their husband, son, brother. the young man was walking back and forth. I know cases when men hide, and neighbors call the police to get them. I don’t want to hide like a hunted dog,” he said.

Konstantin later contacted the human rights group Gulagu.net, which helped him leave Russia.

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