Kathrine Frich
When armies fight brutal wars, casualties are simply part of the grim reality.
The unwritten rule is that soldiers with life-altering injuries get to go home.
But today, one massive military force is ripping up that rulebook completely.
Broken on the battlefield
Russian commanders are forcing crippled men back into the trenches. Soldiers missing eyes, hearing, and limbs are receiving orders to fight again in Ukraine.
According to a report by Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, shared by Romanian outlet Digi24, the Kremlin is scrambling to replace dead troops. Officers are ignoring medical advice to push broken men back into the fight.
Human rights activists have documented horrific cases across the front lines. One commander gave a clear order to a young soldier with fresh shrapnel wounds.
“You are limping and bleeding, but can you move? Then go on the attack!” the activist recalled the commander saying.
Taken from hospital beds
The military relies on extreme tactics to find warm bodies. Officers often skip home addresses and drag wounded men directly out of hospital wards.
A friend of a soldier named Andrei Perevalov told reporters how the young man was handled. Perevalov suffered severe fractures and had a useless right arm.
Despite his condition, the army transported him straight to the combat zone near the city of Pokrovsk. His friend Sergei could hear explosions in the background of his voice messages.
“What is happening? They are just throwing people all over Ukraine? They are squeezing every last drop of our blood?” Sergei said.
Desperate numbers game
The Russian government is trying to avoid another mass draft. A previous attempt caused hundreds of thousands of citizens to flee the country in fear.
British intelligence estimates that nearly half a million Russian soldiers have died or suffered injuries since the invasion began. That staggering loss of life is driving the frantic search for replacements.
An activist named Igor explained that officials lock injured soldiers in holding cells without food or water. The men must sign papers claiming they are completely fit for duty.
“The wounded and their families are simply shocked to see their own army taking them out of their homes, blind and on crutches,” Igor noted.
Sources: Digi24, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty
