“An Opportunity to Profit”: Russia’s 30th Brigade Accused of Looting Their Own Dead

Russian soldiers from the 30th separate motorized rifle brigade are looting the bodies of their fallen comrades and unit discipline is collapsing amid heavy losses and repeated rotations, according to the partisan movement Atesh on December 2.

Atesh said its agents within the brigade have documented cases in which, after a soldier is killed, fellow servicemen search the body and take anything of value, including money, phones, elements of equipment, ID medallions and personal belongings.

“For them, the death of a fellow serviceman is an opportunity to profit, not a reason for compassion,” the group said.

The movement’s agents reported that the unit’s personnel have already been replaced three times because of what they described as huge losses, with commanders replenishing the ranks “with everyone they can find,” including convicts from penal colonies, drug users and people with criminal backgrounds. 

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According to Atesh, this contingent brings “prison camp laws” into the brigade, turning looting into common practice and fueling growing mistrust and constant conflicts among soldiers.

The agents concluded that such an atmosphere was destroying discipline in the unit, leaving each soldier focused only on personal gain, with cohesion absent and the brigade's combat effectiveness falling sharply.

Earlier, it was reported that analysis of Russian military records forecast around 70,000 deserters in 2025, exposing deep structural problems in units such as the 30th Motorized Rifle Brigade, where prisoners recruited from penal colonies made up more than a fifth of all deserters.  

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