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Casualties in the Ukraine war: In 2023, Russian military courts will have tried over 150 cases of murder and manslaughter among comrades. The number of unreported cases could be high.
Moscow/Kyiv – Russia’s troops lose ground in Ukraine War not only in the attempt to occupy further areas in Ukraine, more and more personnel. The number of cases in which Russian soldiers kill their own comrades is also increasing, according to media reports. Now the government-critical Russian media Novaya Gazeta Europe Court data was analyzed, according to which well over 150 soldiers in the occupied territories of Ukraine are said to have been convicted of murder or manslaughter in 2023 alone.
The online newspaper refers to official court data, according to which in 2023 alone at least 135 people were convicted of murder and another 32 of manslaughter, or the crime of “violation of the rules for the use of firearms” often used instead. According to the report, experts also assume that there is a high number of unreported cases because the courts in the partially occupied Kherson and Zaporizhia regions have not yet published any figures.
Losses in the Ukraine war: Media reports of murders at the front are increasing
Loud Navaya Gazeta In 2023, significantly more Russian soldiers committed murders in the occupied Ukrainian territories than veterans of the Russian armed forces in the entire territory of Russia. In the case of manslaughter, the number has increased by around ten times compared to the previous year. Experts see these developments as a sign that mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may have increased among the Russian military.
The news portal DW.comthat in Russia, too, several soldiers who returned from Ukraine had committed serious crimes, including at least 55 murders. The news portal referred to the Russian media site VerstkaAccording to psychologists, this development also indicates that many of those returning from war suffer from PTSD.
Russian soldiers in a war of aggression: alcohol and drugs often play a role
Another important factor besides psychological stress is that in many known cases Novaya Gazeta also alcohol and drug influence. The analysis of the court data revealed that alcohol played a role in 83 percent of murder cases. In 76 percent of cases, the defendants themselves stated in their defense that they had been under the influence of alcohol. In some cases, the court reports, which were obtained in only 10 percent of cases, identified the perpetrators as alcohol or drug addicts.
Also among the examples about the Novaya Gazeta reported, in some cases the influence of alcohol or drugs is mentioned. For example, in the case of a soldier who shot a Russian officer while deserting from the war zone in Ukraine and intended to attack other soldiers if he had not run out of ammunition. Another soldier shot a comrade in the head after the latter had wounded him in the leg and accused him of homosexuality.
In addition to the cases in which Russian soldiers attack each other, there are also numerous cases known from the Ukrainian side in which the military killed and seriously injured civilians in similarly banal situations. According to the Novaya Gazeta However, no information is available. (saka)
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