Kathrine Frich
Relatives say Semen Karmanov, who was unable to read or write, was coerced into signing a contract he could not understand.
A 27-year-old man with a severe intellectual disability has died while fighting in Ukraine, exposing what human rights groups describe as a disturbing pattern in Russia’s military recruitment.
A tragic story
Karmanov, from Kemerovo, had been diagnosed since birth with “mental retardation with significant behavioural disorders.”
Doctors warned his parents that he would need lifelong care. He struggled to attend school and was later moved to a special boarding institution.
According to a relative identified as Olga, he could recognise some letters but never learned to read.
Despite his condition, he was taken from a penal colony in Mariinsk, where he was serving a short sentence, and sent to fight in Ukraine.
“He had six months left to serve,” Olga said. “He didn’t even know what he was signing. They told him he’d be a driver, but he couldn’t drive. He could only draw a cross or the letter K instead of a signature.”
Sent from prison
Court records show Karmanov was convicted of petty crimes, including the unauthorised use of found bank cards worth a few thousand rubles.
Relatives said he was easily manipulated by others and never posed a danger.
He was reportedly recruited in October 2023 from prison and deployed shortly after. His family later learned of his death from a brief military notice saying he died from a head injury in August 2025. His body was returned in a closed coffin.
“They just needed numbers for the front,” Olga said. “They took a disabled boy, made him ‘fit,’ and didn’t even tell us where he died.”
Public outcry
Social media reactions have been divided. Some doubted his disability, while others expressed outrage.
“He couldn’t even read! He was mentally retarded! What a long ruble?! Are you crazy?” one user wrote.
Others shared similar cases, claiming that men with psychiatric diagnoses were being pressured to enlist.
One commenter said, “They take everyone indiscriminately. Even those on medication are being sent.”
A wider pattern
Russian media outlets such as Govorit NeMoskva and SibReal have documented multiple cases of men with intellectual disabilities being coerced into military contracts.
Reports include individuals who were unable to understand the meaning of documents or who had been threatened with imprisonment if they refused to sign.
Among them was 22-year-old Alexei Vakhrushev from Perm, who had the cognitive ability of a small child.
Despite this, he was declared fit for service and sent to the front after being accused of a minor theft.
Other examples include Denis Orlov from Saratov, who could not read or write but was tricked into signing a contract, and Alexander Makheev, a man with mental disabilities who was deployed despite a 10-year sentence.
Ignoring the law
According to Russia’s official regulations, people diagnosed with mild mental retardation fall under “limited fitness” and cannot be conscripted in peacetime.
Yet, under mobilization rules, such individuals can still be drafted for specific roles.
Human rights advocates say the system is being abused. As one analyst told SibReal: “When the army needs bodies, even the unfit become fit.”
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, which may have used AI in the preparation
