MOSCOW: Four Russian soldiers shot and killed their commanding officer yesterday then looted an armoury and fled in a stolen vehicle. They were later captured at a deserted rural hideout, but the incident, in a remote corner of north-eastern Russia, along with a reported bullying, highlighted again the desperation and rage that seem to be the greatest enemy now facing the Russian military.

The attack fits a pattern of soldier-on-soldier violence that has plagued the military since the break-up of the Soviet Union. News agencies reported yesterday that a private was beaten to death earlier this week in southern Russia when he refused to repair an officer's football boot.