Bribery or death: a spiral of extortion grips the Russian army

MoscowFrom paying commanders money for the right to call home to buying the right to leave the front. Despite everything, everything is for sale in the Russian military. Thousands of documents, obtained by Echo of Moscow radio, prove that corruption and extortion have become the norm among Kremlin troops deployed in Ukraine in recent months.

The first allegations date back to late 2023, when the newspaper made them public.Nóvaia Gazeta Europa, as Ivan Txuviliàev, spokesman for the Aneu al Bosc entity, which helps, recalls in the ARA Russian soldiers to desert"We have many victims and ample evidence of extortion: they demand money for treatment, vacations, or quiet time after battle," he explains.

One of the most common bribes is aimed at abandoning the front line. Soldiers pay large sums of money in exchange for being transferred to the rear or being removed from mission lists. The amount usually ranges between the equivalent of 2,000 and 5,000 euros, although there are cases where up to 14,000 euros have been paid for "not returning to previous positions."

In the daily life of military units, extortion has become legal tender. Superiors must be bribed to obtain leave, to be able to communicate with family, or to get food. Medical care is also subject to arbitrary payments: relatives are warned that without monetary compensation, treatment will be postponed, necessary documents will be mysteriously lost, or the disabilities of injured relatives will not be recognized. Some reports from commanders deny operations or, after the procedure, demand a "thank you." A medical certificate can cost between 300 and 500 euros, and the simple right to be hospitalized between 100 and 200.

Sometimes, the extortion isn't even for the benefit of the soldier. In some situations, money is raised "for the needs of the unit": often it's for drones or cars, the price of which runs into thousands of euros, but sometimes it's spent directly on officers' belongings. Instead of requiring the recruit to transfer funds to a bank account, they may be asked to pay for a selection of furniture for their superiors' offices on an e-commerce platform such as Wildberries or Ozon. A soldier's family, for example, had to buy office chairs and lights for a battalion, and a soldier gave a commander 50 euros so he could buy a new cell phone.

Retaliation if you don't want to pay

Refusing to comply almost always leads to threats and even death. There are several recorded cases of soldiers who disappeared after being demanded bribes and refusing to comply. Victims are often accused of "unauthorized abandonment of the unit," that is, desertion, after complaining or rejecting the coercion. Some units have established so-called "solitary confinement" in illegal cages, where those who do not want to participate in the corrupt system are held, deprived of food and the right to communications. Beatings, humiliation, and other disciplinary measures are also common.

These practices are tolerated because the authorities give commanders a free hand. After Vladimir Putin decreed themandatory mobilization in autumn 2022, which led to cases of mass drunkenness, sabotage of orders, and many conscientious objectors, the military police and officers were allowed to impose a heavy hand in the name of discipline, but this quickly degenerated.

As Ivan Filippov, the author of a Telegram channel that monitors the pro-war environment, tells Echo of Moscow, the trend has worsened especially in the last six months. "This isn't even the Wild West; at least there were sheriffs there," he laments. "It's like with African warlords: soldiers have no rights, and anyone can do whatever they want to them: rob them, throw them in a hole, or kill them." He asserts that while it was previously the exception for commanders to assign those who refused to pay on deadly assault missions, it's now the rule.

Abuses that are impossible to investigate

Furthermore, prosecuting such abuses is nearly impossible. Pro-war blogger Anastasia Kashevarova points out that investigative bodies don't always reach the front lines, where most human rights violations occur, but instead simply summon witnesses through officers. And the officers' reaction is to send all those summoned on a combat mission. "The probability of witnesses returning alive is very low. Without witnesses or direct participants, it's impossible to prove anything," she concludes.