- According to a British intelligence report, the morale of the Russian troops is "low".

Stock image of Russian soldiers.

Putin deploys special troops to block the defections of his soldiers in Ukraine: "They threaten to shoot"

Russian troops in Ukraine are suffering from a counteroffensive by local forces and morale is low. For this reason, the Kremlin has decided to deploy special units to prevent defections.

As the daily British intelligence briefing revealed, Russia will deploy so-called "blockade units" that "threaten to shoot at their own retreating soldiers to force offensives."

"Due to low morale and a reluctance to fight, Russian forces have likely begun to deploy 'barrier troops' or 'blockade units,'" Britain's Defense Ministry said in a new intelligence report on Friday.

"These units threaten to fire on their own retreating soldiers to force offensives and have been used in previous conflicts by Russian forces," the report added.

"Recently, Russian generals probably wanted their commanders to use weapons against defectors, including the possibility of authorizing shots to kill such defectors after giving a warning," the document says.

"It is likely that the generals also wanted to hold defensive positions to the death," the report concludes.

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