Kathrine Frich
The Russian army is facing another corruption scandal, this time in the elite 83rd Independent Air Assault Brigade.
The Russian army is facing another corruption scandal, this time in the elite 83rd Independent Air Assault Brigade.
A Scandal in Russia’s Elite Brigade
Military police uncovered a scheme where soldiers deliberately injured themselves to claim state compensation for fake war wounds.
Investigators say dozens were involved, with the fraud amounting to over 200 million rubles.
How the Self-Harm Scheme Worked
The arrangement was straightforward.
Commanders urged soldiers to shoot themselves in the hand or cut their legs with bayonets.
A military doctor then provided official papers to confirm the “injuries.”
These documents went up the chain of command, securing cash payments and benefits for the so-called wounded.
Rewards for Fake Heroes
Each soldier could receive up to 3 million rubles in compensation.
Alongside the money came privileges such as medical leave, better healthcare, and in some cases, medals like the Order of Courage.
The result was a grotesque system where self-inflicted wounds were treated as battlefield honors.
The Colonels Behind the Plot
The scheme was reportedly devised by two high-ranking officers:
Konstantin Frolov and Artem Gorodilov. Frolov, once hailed in state media as a hero, now stands accused of orchestrating fraud.
Both men admitted to parts of the charges and asked to return to the front instead of facing trial, but their requests were rejected.
A System of “Dead Souls”
This case is shocking, but it is not the first. Reports suggest some units even created “dead souls”, soldiers who existed only on paper.
These phantom troops allowed commanders to cover up losses, secure extra funds, and inflate achievements.
The practice exposed the depth of corruption across the armed forces.
Lies on the Battlefield
The Russian army’s obsession with paperwork has turned it into what some describe as a bureaucratic monster.
Officers inflated numbers of captured positions, destroyed tanks, and other combat successes.
Entire villages were “taken” on paper, though the soldiers had never reached them. The fraud extended across several brigades.
Major General Popov’s Case
One of the most notorious cases involved Major General Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army.
He was sentenced to five years in a penal colony for falsifying reports and selling stolen materials.
Around 2,000 tons of steel meant for fortifications in Zaporizhzhia were instead embezzled, worth more than 130 million rubles.
Corruption Beyond the Front
Russian military corruption is not new. Even in peacetime, officers sold food, fuel, and equipment.
In 2016, the theft of two bronze propellers from the destroyer Bespokojny caused outrage.
Now, with the war in Ukraine, the scale has expanded. Weapons are sold on the black market, while families must pay for their relatives’ graves.
A Vicious Circle Weakening Russia
For Ukraine, the decay inside the Russian army is an advantage.
Soldiers who injure themselves or desert leave units short-handed, lowering morale and fighting power.
Fraud erodes trust among troops, making the army less effective.
What was meant to be a show of strength for Putin has instead revealed a theater of lies and decay.
