Kathrine Frich
Long deployments, freezing conditions and months away from home have taken a visible toll on soldiers fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Analysts and rights groups have repeatedly warned that exhaustion, alcohol abuse and shortages can push people to act in ways that would once have seemed unthinkable.
Now a new report has emerged describing a deadly incident inside a Russian unit, allegedly sparked by greed and desperation rather than enemy fire.
Deadly dispute
The Atesh partisan movement said a Russian soldier was shot dead following an argument with his comrades over the sale of captured night-vision equipment.
In an update published on Saturday, Atesh said the incident involved three soldiers from Russia’s 33rd Motorized Rifle Regiment in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk.
The exact date of the alleged shooting remains unclear. The Kyiv Post reported the claim but said it could not independently verify the information.
Fight over loot
According to Atesh, the three soldiers were drinking in a local bar when a dispute broke out over the price of a “standard thermal camera” seized on the front line.
“The argument continued outside the bar, where shooting broke out. One soldier was killed at the scene,” the group wrote.
No further details were provided about the condition of the other two soldiers involved.
Valuable equipment
Thermal imaging and night-vision devices are highly sought after by frontline troops, as they allow forces to spot enemy movements in darkness and low-visibility conditions.
Such equipment can provide a decisive battlefield advantage and is often scarce.
Atesh said similar thermal imaging cameras sold by Ukrainian military equipment stores typically cost between $1,000 and several thousand dollars.
Alleged cover-up
The partisan group claimed Russian military commanders attempted to conceal the true circumstances of the shooting.
According to Atesh, the death was officially recorded as the result of “negligent handling of a weapon.”
“The command is trying to limit access to information and prevent the news from spreading outside the unit,” Atesh wrote.
Sources: Kyiv Post, Atesh partisan movement, Digi24.
