During these four years of Russian invasion of Ukraine, we have mainly seen productions that humanized the Ukrainian army, showing the atrocities they suffered at the front and the survival of civilians in destroyed cities. This Tuesday, the BBC broadcast a documentary that focused on the other side: The Zero Line. Inside russia’s war. The result is chilling, as it denounces how the Russian army has gone beyond all law and common sense. It was recorded thanks to the testimony of civilians and soldiers who secretly recorded videos to support their stories. One of them states: "Your adversary is in front of you. But your enemy is the commander behind you." The high command of the Russian army leads its own soldiers to death, using them as mere useful cannon fodder. Military jargon calls it "meat storms." To refer to the sacrifice of their men, they use the word zero: the heads of each unit designate which soldiers are to be zeroed for the benefit of military tactics. The documentary includes images captured by drones showing these types of operations: groups of men are sent to the zero line – the one in contact with the enemy – to be shot at. This way, they identify the positions of the Ukrainian army and ensure that their ammunition is depleted. The battle is presented as a simple matter of numbers. The testimonies alternate with propaganda videos disseminated through Russian media to recruit more men. New soldiers who, as is easy to deduce, will also be sent against the enemy to keep the troops replenished. The horror of the documentary does not end here. The Zero Line. Inside russia’s war shows the cruel repression against dissidents. They can be humiliated at the front if they refuse to kill or move to the zero line. There are terrible images of naked, starving soldiers locked in an underground pit in the middle of the forest. They are thrown crumbs of food to humiliate them. They also explain how, before annihilating some Russian soldiers, they take their bank cards to empty their bank accounts. The stories of civilians who have demonstrated against the war or denounced the Bucha massacre are no different. They are arrested, raped, tortured, and sentenced to years in prison. Some of these actions have been recorded by the army itself to make videos out of them. The testimony of their partners is tragic and contrasts with the happiness reflected in old mobile phone recordings from before the war. They are Russians, victims of their country. A harrowing documentary of great informational value. The BBC has managed to provide, on an emblematic date of the conflict, a powerful narrative. It contrasts with the cowardly approach of TV3, which, on the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion, dedicated "Sense ficció" to Steven Spielberg's film "Tauró,a testament to the journalistic ambition of our public television.
