Furious mobilised conscripts turned on a Russian lieutenant-colonel after he bluntly told them: “You are all cannon fodder, you are facing slaughter.”
The high-ranking officer had his face “smashed” in a brawl, say reports.
Many of the reservists - among hundreds of thousands thrown into the war under a Vladimir Putin decree - were left distraught after being told they will likely die at the front.
However, it is probable the commander was telling them the truth in saying the Putin call-up will lead to mass deaths of untrained reservists sent to the front.
The recruits turned on top brass officer at the Rubin Palace of Sports where the men are stationed in a makeshift barracks before being sent into battle in Ukraine.
A video shows a punch-up, but it is not clear if this was the brawl in which the officer’s face was struck.
Later reports said the unnamed Lt-Colonel’s face was “all smashed” with broken bones.
The brother of a draftee said: “My brother messaged me just now.
“There was a Lt Colonel walking among [the newly-mobilised], telling them: ‘You are all cannon fodder, you are facing slaughter’.
“There was a fight, the colonel’s face was smashed. They could hardly pull them apart. One person fell sick [after the cannon cannon fodder threat].
“Two ambulances rushed there in one hour. Many people felt sick, many were in tears. One tried to escape, they caught him.
“It’s a f***ing nightmare what’s happening there. There were 1,080 people there now, in Rubin [sports palace].
“They’ll end up in knife fights, it’s a complete mess there. All of them are drunk.
“Every single one of them.”
The warmonger is facing a massive backlash in Russia - with firebomb attacks on enlistment centres as hundreds of thousands flee to avoid being sent to Ukraine.
Western officials believe Russians are finally realising the extent of the lies they've been told since the president launched his illegal invasion in February.
Sources said today that there were 17 known fires at mobilisation centres - including one case in Ryazan where a protester set fire to himself - in just four days last week.
There has been a rise in "direct action" since Putin announced 300,000 extra troops would be drafted in to bolster his failing war effort, with brave protesters risking arrest across the country to demonstrate.
Since Putin's escalation an estimated 250,000 people are believed to have crossed Russian borders to avoid being forced to fight in Ukraine - bringing the total number to flee Russia since February to around 400,000.
