Relatives of Russian troops stationed in the Primorye region of the Far East have contacted military prosecutors regarding accusations of sexual violence and extortion at a local army unit, as reported by the news outlet Ostorozhno Novosti on Monday.

According to reports referenced by the outlet and lawyer Maxim Chikhunov, it is alleged that commanders at military unit 21634 in the village of Sergeyevka detained AWOL soldiers in makeshift “cages,” subjecting them to sexual abuse in an effort to extract combat pay from them.

Chikhunov shared a video last week in which a soldier recounted an incident where a commander supposedly assaulted him with a sex toy and injured his previously wounded eye when he refused to pay 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,800).

A screenshot from a social media message indicated that one of the alleged victims was subsequently sent to Ukraine, where it is claimed that commanders confined him in a pit.

In another account, reports suggest that an officer attempted to kill a subordinate who tried to document the abuse, with the soldier surviving only because a fellow serviceman had discreetly unloaded the gun.

Chikhunov stated on Friday that “extensive investigations” have been initiated, but he continues to receive additional reports of maltreatment within the same military unit in Sergeyevka.

It remains uncertain whether any criminal charges have been filed against the supervising officers involved.

The Russian Defense Ministry has yet to respond to these allegations.

Since the onset of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, independent media and human rights organizations have reported that violence, coercion, and extortion are prevalent within the Russian military, particularly affecting mobilized soldiers and those returning from the front lines.