Commander and Men in Russian Unit in Ukraine Shot at One Another to Get Cash Awards and Decorations, ‘Kommersant’ Reports

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Aug. 21 – The commander and 34 of his subordinates in Russia’s 83^rd Air Assault Brigade fighting in Ukraine routinely arranged to shoot one another so as to claim nearly 2.5 million US dollars in compensation and win decorations declaring them to be heroes, according to a Kommersant report about a federal investigation into these crimes.

            The Moscow newspaper reports that the investigators compiled more than 100 volumes of testimony from other soldiers who denounced what their commanders and fellow soldiers have done (kommersant.ru/doc/7974835 and meduza.io/feature/2025/08/21/pervyy-kanal-i-minoborony-rashvalivali-podvigi-snaypera-palacha-sk-schitaet-rasskazy-voennogo-feykami).

            This case highlights yet another form of the degradation of the Russian military fighting in Ukraine; and now that it has been reported by Kommersant, it is likely to be followed by reports of other such activities given that it is highly unlikely that such actions are confined to this unit alone.

            Even if that does not happen, the size of this criminal activity in a much-decorated unit is going to raise questions in the minds of many Russians as to just how much the medals Russian veterans wear and use to get further veterans are legitimate, something that will further complicate the problems Moscow faces with the reintegration of veterans into Russian society.