1/ An ongoing epidemic of murder and extortion in the Russian army has reached such a level that Russian warbloggers say the army has become a "gangster supermarket". "Extortion under the threat of death has become an entire shadow industry", says one Russian blogger. ⬇️
2/ Fresh reports of men being "zeroed out" by their commanders are published almost daily. Recently leaked data from the Russian human rights commissioner records over 6,000 complaints in 6 months from soldiers and their relatives about abuses in the army.
3/ Corrupt Russian commanders routinely extort their men with the threat of having them murdered, or sending them into unsurvivable assaults. "Life support" bribes – paid either by the men or their relatives to keep them out of assaults – are commonplace.
4/ Grigory Vdovin writes on his 'Travelling Correspondent' Telegram channel about a friend who is being extorted under the threat of death:
5/ "Some time ago, a soldier came to my attention. A good guy, he honestly enlisted, has been fighting ever since, went through Chasiv Yar and all the other delights. He was wounded, then returned to duty.
6/ "At some point, his commander calls him over and says, “Well done, you've earned it. We're transferring you from the front line to the rear.” And they called him over right from his position, right from the front line. From a bad place, where he was honestly doing his job.
7/ "They transferred him, indeed. They sent him home on leave. And there, some colonel comes up to him and starts explaining that he already owes 1.8 million rubles [$23,534] for this transfer. If you don't like something, get back to the front lines, we'll kill you right there.
8/ "He paid what was on the [salary] card. Then, more. Everyone serving in this unit, even those just starting out, received their starting payments, those famous "2 million rubles right away"—they immediately, under threat, handed them over to these wonderful people.
9/ "The algorithm is flawlessly designed—no one has seen this money, people are brought in straight from the military registration and enlistment office. It's business.
No one is embarrassed about anything, everything is done through transfers. The impudence is off the charts.
10/ "As an employee of state television, it's hard to accuse me of any "incorrect" position on what's happening. If you like, my position is "correct" a priori, professionally speaking.
11/ "Yes, I took this story to the authorities. As is unfortunately very common, they end up blaming the victim themselves, saying they're a deserter, a 500, etc. In this case, as of now, no drastic measures have been taken.
12/ "The whole thing has died down. Besides the fact that they continue to extort money from a man and openly threaten to kill him.
13/ "Cannibals must be expelled from our army. Cannibals must be punished. A commander is a father, not a slave owner and cannibal. Now a friend of mine is being taken to Moscow, and he believes it's not for good. But for bad.
14/ "But we are ready to cut this Gordian knot of moist, criminal conspiracy and a million-dollar business based on the blood and lives, the heroic deeds of our men. Life, like love for the Motherland, a willingness to do one's duty—is not measured in money.
15/ "But these freaks have decided to hang their price tags everywhere, turning everything into an inside-out gangster supermarket, which, of course, puts not only the country but also the fulfillment of a combat mission out of the question.
16/ "They have only one goal—to drink blood and turn it into money. This can't be, can it, my friends?"
Mikhail Zvinchuk's widely-read channel 'Rybar' picks up the story. He comments:
17/ "If pressing problems are put off until later, rather than addressed, they will surface sooner or later. This is precisely what's happening in the Russian Armed Forces with its "extortion economy," as demonstrated by the unfolding case of conscript Igor Korushnov.
18/ "After being wounded and serving several years at the front, he was transferred to the rear, but was then told he owed a colonel 1.8 million rubles for his actions, or he would be sent back [to the front]. Investigative authorities have not yet taken any radical measures.
19/ "There is reason to hope that public outcry will help: the perpetrators of this scheme will be sent to prison, and the man will continue serving. The problem is that this is far from an isolated incident, even among publicly known cases.
20/ "📌 After all, extortion under the threat of death has become an entire shadow industry, not just in high places, but at mid- and even lower levels.
21/ "One can also recall the arrests of military enlistment office employees for participating in the theft of "starting" payments. And there's an image issue here.
22/ "You can talk all you want about the "Special Military Operation experience" and the positive changes, but it's precisely these kinds of stories that the average person sees first, especially if their friends, neighbours, or acquaintances have experienced the same.
23/ "And they begin to think things have only got worse.
❓What can be done here? Well, at the very least, those who want to do this should be genuinely wary of the potential consequences.
24/ "But at some point, much will come down to the issue of personnel selection and the argument, "Where are we going to find others today with this kind of staffing?"
25/ "❗️And it's not bloggers and commentators who should respond to it, but the Russian state, with decisions at the appropriate level.
26/ "If we want the phrase "well, the army is completely unrecognisable now!" to be used in the context of positive, not negative, dynamics in the future." /end
Sources:
🔹 t.me/korrzakadrom/1…
🔹 t.me/rybar/77567
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