It’s after the tanks were stripped for parts and cash
A Russian commander killed himself after finding out that the tanks in his regiment were inoperable, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.
The commander was apparently part of the “4th tank division of the Russian Federation.”
In the unconfirmed report, the Ministry of Defence says that the commander – who has not been named – shot himself when he discovered that 90 percent of his tanks could not be used.
The Daily Star reports that materials from the tanks had been stolen and they had been stripped for cash.
The story comes amid claims that financial corruption is crippling the Russian army.
Businessman Bill Browder, who used to be the largest foreign portfolio investor in Russia told the Wall Street Journal that he estimates “80 percent of the military budget is stolen by Russian generals.”
Because of this, those lower down the ranks resort to selling the fuel and parts from their tanks on the black market in order to make money.
In a Telegram bulletin, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence said that vital electronic equipment from some of the tanks had been stripped as they contain precious metals.
It claimed Russia is “trying to put into operation a significant amount of equipment coming from long-term storage facilities,” but that it is arriving in “extremely unsatisfactory” condition.
It’s the latest example of the discontent and low morale amongst Russian troops. There have previously been reports of Russian soldiers shooting themselves in the leg so that they can be sent back from the front line.
A number of senior Russian commanders and senior military figures have been killed in the conflict as well, with the war in Ukraine now the worst for the Russian military in terms of senior military losses since World War Two.
Related links:
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