Stanislav Raevsky, a member of Russia’s 1430th regiment, alleged that his commander was responsible for the death of fellow serviceman Alexei Serov, a father of five, according to a report by Russian media outlet ASTRA on November 4.
According to the official Russian statement, Serov was killed from shrapnel wounds during an assault in Ukraine.
Raevsky reportedly requested that ASTRA release his message after his death.
In the video, he stated “I want these people to be held accountable. If anything happens to me, this video will be released. I’m not afraid of death. The truth is the truth.”
According to Raevsky, the incident occurred on May 2, 2023, in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Raevsky described how he, Serov, and five other soldiers had been drinking when they were approached by their commander, known by the call sign 714.
After questioning them, the commander allegedly shot Serov in the head.
10 days after Serov’s death, military police reportedly detained Raevsky and the other witnesses and took them to the occupied town of Tokmak, where a senior officer, under a call sign “Musika”, allegedly offered the witnesses to face trial for “assaulting” the commander, who would claim self-defense, or remain silent in exchange for receiving a medal and benefits.
“We chose the second option,” Raevsky stated.
According to Raevsky’s video, Authorities later attempted to silence witnesses to the killing.
Raevsky was then taken to a former penal colony in Perevalsk, reportedly used as a detention center for soldiers refusing to return to battle.
ASTRA’s sources indicate that detainees there face dire conditions, with limited access to water or light.
Several weeks later, Raevsky was reportedly killed near Bakhmut.
Witnesses say he died near the village of Kodema, the location from which he recorded his video messages. Raevsky’s body was returned to his family in a sealed casket.
Serov’s wife, Ekaterina, provided her account of the incident. She stated that her husband intervened after the commander shot a fellow soldier. During the ensuing struggle, the commander’s gun discharged, killing Serov.
To conceal the truth, Ekaterina alleges that authorities staged Serov’s death as a result of a landmine explosion, placing his body on a mine to simulate shrapnel injuries.
At the funeral, to conceal the gunshot wound, Serov’s head was covered with traditional decorations.
Earlier, Russia’s Southern District Military Court sentenced Ukrainian citizen Denys Narolsky to 18 years in prison, accusing him of “state treason” for refusing to fight against Ukraine.
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