It has come to light that a Russian army officer faked a combat wound by injuring himself to collect a large payout.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 19th, Lt. Col. Konstantin Frolov of Russia's 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade is accused of leading a plan to shoot himself to obtain wartime injury compensation. The scheme was found to have involved another commander, more than 30 soldiers, and military doctors.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said the Russian military suffered a financial loss of about 200 million rubles (about 3.7 billion won) due to the case.
In the Russian military, it is widely known that corruption is rampant, with commanders demanding money instead of granting soldiers leave or pressuring them to exaggerate injuries to claim compensation.
Frolov, known by the codename "Executioner," had previously appeared on television with four medals on his chest and talked about being wounded at the front, and Russian outlets portrayed him as a hero. The NYT said his heroic tale has been revealed as a fabricated scam.
Frolov is awaiting sentencing next month and is said to have pleaded guilty before trial to seek a reduced sentence. However, in a phone interview with the NYT conducted at a Moscow detention facility, he argued that the plan to embezzle compensation was not a scam.
The NYT analyzed that "Russian soldiers fighting in the war in Ukraine are seen as fighting only for money, and this case is further stoking public discontent over the economic and social privileges concentrated in the military."
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in Nov. 2024 to pay compensation for soldiers' injuries. The decree stipulates 3 million rubles (about 60 million won) for serious injuries and 1 million rubles (about 20 million won) for minor injuries.