Russian Conscripts Who Sued the Ministry of Defense Over Forged Contracts Killed in Combat

Three Russian conscripts from Sakhalin, who had been engaged in a legal battle with the Russian Ministry of Defense over forged military contracts, have been killed in combat during Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a report by Okno.

The conscripts, including 21-year-old Viktor Baturin, had spent nine months challenging the authenticity of their contracts in court. It was only after their deaths that experts officially confirmed their signatures had been falsified.

Viktor Baturin, drafted in November 2023, was deployed in a high-casualty assault near Yelyzavetivka in the Pokrovsky district of Donetsk region on November 23, 2024. His remains were never recovered from the battlefield.

Less than a month before his death, Baturin had sustained shrapnel injuries to his arm and leg. Despite his mother’s attempts to bring him home for recovery, he was sent to the front lines with untreated wounds. While his fellow soldiers confirmed his death, Baturin’s mother continues to hope he may still be alive.

Baturin, along with conscripts Mykyta Molochkovsky and Mykyta Borisov, had been stationed at military unit 71435 in Lagunnoye, Sakhalin, after their conscription. In April 2024, suspicious payments of $2,890 were deposited into their accounts. This prompted the soldiers to file lawsuits, alleging that their signatures had been forged on two-year contracts.

Investigations revealed that in December 2023, commanders of Russian unit 71435, including acting Lieutenant Colonel Misevich, had falsified “voluntary” contracts for multiple conscripts. Official verification of the forgery by a forensic institute came only after the deaths of all three soldiers.

Molochkovsky died in August 2024, and Borisov reportedly died earlier that year. Molochkovsky’s mother received confirmation of the forgery in December 2024.

Earlier, a 19-year-old Russian conscript from Tatarstan, Artem Antonov, was reportedly shot dead by his superior at the Illinsky training range in Primorsky Krai, Russia, after refusing to sign a military contract and deploy near Ukraine’s border.

Antonov’s family alleged he had faced mistreatment, including beatings and denial of medical care, before his death, which officials controversially described as a sacrifice for his homeland.