Wounded Russian Soldier Shoots Himself After Commander Blames Him for Unit’s Deaths

A severely wounded Russian soldier left without evacuation shot himself after telling his commander he could no longer endure his injuries, according to an intercepted conversation released by Ukraine’s military intelligence.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) published the recording on September 21, saying the soldier served with Russia’s 348th Motor Rifle Regiment of the 35th Motor Rifle Brigade operating in the Oleksandrivka direction.

“I’ll finish myself off. Why wait? Why suffer?” the wounded soldier can be heard saying in the recording, according to HUR. He then describes injuries affecting his right side and left leg.

Instead of discussing an evacuation, the commander responds by blaming the wounded soldier for leaving his position and allegedly exposing it.

“If you hadn’t left the position, you wouldn’t be suffering now,” the commander says, before accusing him of causing the deaths of other Russian troops through his “uncontrolled” departure from the position.

HUR said the wounded soldier was lying in a field without evacuation or psychological assistance and ultimately died by suicide.

The Ukrainian intelligence agency presented the intercepted exchange as evidence of deteriorating morale and conditions within Russian units.

Earlier, a Russian military intelligence special forces soldier voluntarily surrendered to Ukraine after an assault in which he said roughly 70% of his company was killed. The serviceman said the scale of the losses convinced him his unit had effectively been sent to die, prompting him to contact Ukraine’s I Want to Live project and arrange his surrender.

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