The White House said Thursday that Russian authorities are executing some of their own soldiers for not following orders on the battlefield in Ukraine.. “We have information that the Russian Army has been executing soldiers who refuse to follow orders,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said during a press conference.. He added that some Russian commanders have threatened to execute entire units if they retreat in the face of Ukrainian artillery fire.. The spokesman suggested that the news is a symptom of how poorly the country is doing in its invasion of Ukraine, but warned that Moscow still has significant offensive capabilities and could achieve victories in the coming weeks.