Wheeled Warriors: Unverified Claims of Russia Fielding Injured Soldiers in Battle
Disabled soldiers equipped with wheelchairs and crutches deployed by Russia in combat
Known for its disregard for soldiers' lives, Russia's military tactics often push the boundaries of morality. A troubling video currently circulating online alleges that injured fighters from a motorized Russian rifle regiment are being deployed into battle, despite their severe injuries such as missing limbs.
In the video reportedly shared on the X-channel of the military blog ChrisO-wiki, a soldier pleads for help, fearing his imminent death. While we can't independently verify the soldier's claims, they mirror other reports and videos that have surfaced.
Several clips, presumed to be taken by Ukrainian drones, show severely injured Russian soldiers on the battlefield. One such clip showcases a soldier, now out of his wheelchair, crawling painfully on the ground. The soldier's fate is unclear, as he is surrounded by fallen comrades in a bush. The clip was classified as authentic by ntv.de's verification team.
Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butussov shares a similar video on his Telegram channel, claiming that the Russians are employing an underhanded tactic: sending the wounded FROM hospitals to crippled regiments, so the Ukrainians would waste valuable drones.
Moreover, the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation suggests that the Russian military might be using wounded soldiers on crutches to identify firing positions of the defense forces. However, these allegations remain unproven.
With the Russian military suffering heavy losses in their conflict with Ukraine, countless wounded soldiers have returned to the fight. A report by the Russian exile media outlet Meduza describes a grenadier who lost sight in one eye yet was still deployed. Another soldier with a missing leg was discharged from a hospital after treatment only to be reassigned to the "Recovery Regiment" of the 47th Tank Division, despite being promised rehabilitation.
Controversially, a soldier from the regiment reports that the goal is not to recover the injured, but to return them to active duty as "living flesh." According to this source, severely injured soldiers are sent back to the battlefield to fight, much like the robotic character from the Terminator series.
Despite these claims, there is no credible or verified evidence that supports the idea that Russia deploys injured soldiers on crutches or in wheelchairs as a tactic to expose enemy positions. The available sources primarily focus on the extensive Russian casualties and military challenges in the conflict with Ukraine.
Sources: ntv.de, Rog, Meduza
- Attack on Ukraine
- Wars and Conflicts
- Russia
- Military
The community is abuzz with allegations that Russia is deploying wounded soldiers from hospitals directly to crippled regiments, a tactic aimed at potentially wasting Ukrainian drone resources, as reported by Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butussov on his Telegram channel. This claim converges with other reports and videos that suggest Russia's politics on war-and-conflicts can be questionable, with the general news often highlighting the Russian military's disregard for soldiers' wellbeing in times of war. However, it's important to note that many of these assertions remain unproven, as extensively reported by various news outlets such as ntv.de, Rog, and Meduza.
