More Than 30 Soldiers Of An Elite Brigade Of The Russian Armed Forces Shot Themselves To Get Paid And Leave The Frontline

For fictitious injuries, they were presented to awards - the Order of Courage and the Medal for Bravery.

The Main Military Investigation Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee has completed the investigation into the case of fraud with "combat wounds" in the elite 83rd Airborne Assault Brigade. According to the investigation, more than three dozen servicemen deliberately inflicted gunshot wounds on themselves after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and registered them as combat wounds. This entitled them to compensation of up to 3 million rubles, vacation and preferential treatment. The total amount of illegal payments exceeded Br200 million. In addition, fictitious injuries were used as a reason to present them with state awards - mainly the Order of Courage and the Medal for Bravery, "Kommersant" reported.

The defendants in the case were high-ranking officers - Guards Colonel Artyom Gorodilov and his subordinate Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Frolov. Both pleaded guilty and signed pre-trial agreements. Now they are familiarizing themselves with the materials of the case, numbering about a hundred volumes. The trial will be held in the so-called "Lugansk garrison military court" - at the place where some of the crimes were committed. According to Kommersant's sources, a total of 35 people are involved in the case.

Lieutenant Colonel Frolov was officially listed as wounded four times, but experts have determined that his injuries had nothing to do with the fighting. By Frolov's own admission, fellow soldiers shot him at his request, aiming so as not to hit vital organs.

Frolov was also featured in propaganda media stories that portrayed him as a war hero. The publications claimed that he adopted a girl rescued from under fire and led "the most effective sniper group." The investigation considers these stories fictitious. Doubts were also raised by materials about the "rescue" of a group of UAV operators, who were allegedly taken out from under fire by Colonel Gorodilov.

Artyom Gorodilov is accused of fraud on a particularly large scale (part 4 of article 159 of the Criminal Code). Konstantin Frolov - in fraud, bribery, illegal trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosive devices (articles 290, 222 and 221.1 of the Criminal Code).

In Frolov's caches on the territory of the "LNR" law enforcers found trophy weapons - three pistols, an automatic rifle, ammunition, mines and grenades. He was arrested on June 27, 2024 by decision of the St. Petersburg garrison military court, and on July 4 of the same year, arrest was also chosen for Gorodilov. Despite attempts by the defense to secure their release on their own recognizance, the courts refused. The investigation also recognized Frolov as sane, although his mental state initially raised questions.

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