Thread by @ChrisO_wiki

1/ So-called 'black commanders' are confiscating Russian soldiers' salary cards, then sending them to their deaths, failing to report them missing or killed, and stealing their salaries. This scam is reportedly widespread and has prompted many complaints from soldiers. ⬇️

2/ The 'Brothers in Arms' Telegram channel describes how the scam works:

"'Black commanders' are those who do not report soldiers as missing when communication is lost or a soldier is killed."

3/ "On paper, the person is still listed, and money continues to be deposited into their account. But who has the card? Take a guess. Modern-day “dead souls,” damn it.

4/ "We've heard stories of commanders taking cards “for safekeeping.” Supposedly, so that relatives don't lose money in case something happens. Sounds caring, yeah. Except that according to the law, commanders have no right to touch other people's cards.

5/ "That's a criminal offence, theft, fraud. But who's going to check when the person is gone and the card is left behind?

The logic is simple. If a soldier is officially killed or missing in action, the family receives payments.

6/ "If they are listed as deserters, the family receives nothing. And while the status is undetermined, the money keeps coming. This is where the temptation arises for those in positions of authority and with access to cards.

7/ "We don't know if there have been any convictions for this, but considering that the military police are busy with completely different nonsense, we can assume that there haven't been."

8/ There have been numerous complaints about this practice, which appears to be taking place in many different units on many different fronts in Ukraine. It's possible that some men are deliberately being sent to their deaths so that their commanders can steal their salaries.

9/ One example is that of Vladimir Grigorievich Shlyakhtichenko of the 228th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment, who went missing in action in September 2025.

10/ His sister Lyubov says that in their last conversation, he complained that his commanders had beaten him, confiscated his weapons, took his payment card, a car, phones, and documents, and was about to send him on a combat mission unarmed. He has not been heard from since.

11/ Rodion Igorevich Shashnin's family made regular bribe payments of 30,000 rubles ($390) a month – known as "life support" – to his commander to keep him out of assaults. When they stopped the payments, he was 'sold' to the assault unit of another regiment.

12/ At this point, according to his wife, he was "isolated and his combat veteran ID and bank card were confiscated." He was reported to have been wounded, supposedly refused treatment, and then disappeared. He could not be contacted after that.

13/ Artur Aleksandrovich Sharanov from the 7th Motorised Rifle Regiment underwent major heart surgery in January 2025 but was then declared fit, brought back to Ukraine in handcuffs, and sent straight into combat. As in other cases, his ID and bank card were confiscated.

14/ Anton Alekseevich Putyatov from the 1435th Motorised Rifle Regiment reported repeatedly being threatened with death by "soldiers of non-Slavic appearance" if he did not hand over his salary card and PIN.

15/ He was told every day: "Give me your card, give me your money, give me your PIN—you're about to get hit in the head. We'll break you, we'll wipe you out."

Putyatov deserted, fearing that he was about to be murdered. His eventual fate is unknown.

16/ Vladimir Dulyaninov, a soldier of the 6th Guards Tank Regiment, told his aunt that soldiers are forced to leave their bank cards and PIN codes with their commanders before going on assaults with minimal ammunition and no provisions.

17/ Similar reports have been published almost daily for months, indicating how widespread these practices are. Relatives have say that getting access to their deceased loved ones' salary accounts, they have found them empty, with all the money withdrawn after the men's deaths.

18/ Such reports highlight how Russian commanders have become accustomed to robbing their men, and are likely making small fortunes by Russian standards. For many in the Russian army, war has become a very profitable business opportunity. /end

Sources:
🔹 t.me/bratyapooruzhi…
🔹 t.me/ne_zhdi_novost…
🔹 t.me/ne_zhdi_novost…
🔹 t.me/ne_zhdi_novost…
🔹 t.me/ne_zhdi_novost…
🔹 t.me/ne_zhdi_novost…