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Russia Forcing Amputee Soldiers Back to the Frontline, With No Prosthetics or Support
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Russian soldiers who have lost limbs in combat are being sent back to the front line, according to multiple statements reported by The Telegraph and verified by Ukrainian intelligence.
Pte Startsev, a former prisoner who lost his leg in 2024, is among those who shared their story, saying that despite his injury, he was forced back to the battlefield. “We’ve already paid our dues in blood. So what now? Are we supposed to f------ die?” he said in a video.
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These soldiers, mostly from the 126th Motorized Rifle Regiment, told they were ordered by Col Kostyantynov Volodymyr Mykolayovych to continue fighting despite their disabilities. The Russian army is accused of using former prisoners as “cannon fodder,” particularly sending them to the most dangerous frontlines.
The situation is an indication of Russia’s attritional tactics, where soldiers are sent to fight even after sustaining life-threatening injuries. These tactics, including sending amputees back into combat, are causing further harm to the already overextended Russian forces.
Pte Startsev stated he has not been provided with a prosthetic leg by the Russian government and had to find military equipment himself.
“They were supposed to issue me with a prosthetic, but no one cares,” he said in a video, obtained by The Telegraph, alleging that Col Mykolayovych told him soldiers who were convicts “should all die, every last one”.
Ukrainian officials condemned the practice as part of an issue within Russia’s military, where injured soldiers are discarded and treated with disregard, according to The Telegraph.
“This case is not isolated and illustrates a systemic issue in the Russian army, which disregards losses to achieve Kremlin goals, treating personnel as ‘cannon fodder’,” said Olesia Horiainova, deputy head of the Ukrainian Security and Co-operation Centre.
“Former prisoners particularly suffer this treatment, typically deployed to the most dangerous front sections with minimal survival chances,” she continued.
It was previously reported that Russia had suffered catastrophic battlefield losses in December 2025, with as many as 1,000 soldiers killed each day.
Earlier, it was reported that Germany continued to supply prosthetics to Russia through several German manufacturers, and these volumes have increased sharply in both value and tonnage.
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