Putin 'forcing his wounded soldiers back to front line'

VLADIMIR Putin is now forcing troops suffering from serious war injuries to go back and fight on the front line in Ukraine.

- Mark Reynolds

New evidence showed the desperate condition of many men being ordered to return to active assault groups after already suffering severe wounds.

The Kremlin chief has so far not dared to impose a new mass mobilisation, fearing a hostile reaction from draftees and their families.

But instead, serving men propped up by crutches and sticks are being forced to fight in Putin's "cannon fodder" units in Ukraine.

In footage newly unearthed by prominent Ukrainian activist and lawyer Serhii Sternenko, maimed fighters could be seen having to return to battle in what he calls Putin's "cripple battalions".

Assaults

Mr Sternenko, who has 3.5 million subscribers across multiple social media platforms, said: "Wounded invaders are still pushed into assaults.

"The enemy resorts to such measures not because everything is going well for them."