barrier troops
noun1
Military units that are located in the rear or on the front line to maintain military discipline of the main forces by preventing desertion.
- The Russian president has also claimed Ukraine was using its own barrier troops, “shooting their own soldiers in the back”.2023 March 27, Pjotr Sauer, “Russian soldiers say commanders used ‘barrier troops’ to stop them retreating”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- Synonyms
- blocking unit, blocking formation, blocking detachment, anti-retreat unit, anti-retreat troops