Radio Svoboda’s investigation details the killings of six Bucha residents—Andrii Matviychuk, Vitalii Karpenko, Volodymyr Rubailo, Dmytro Konovalov, Valerii Kizilov, and Ihor Horodetskyi—potentially linking four soldiers from the Russian 234th Airborne Assault Regiment: Sergeant Artem Dementiev, Lieutenant Artem Tareyev, Sergeant Vladimir Borzunov, and Captain Yevheniy Plyusnin. The investigation meticulously reconstructs three days of events in March 2022, utilizing surveillance footage, eyewitness testimonies, and victim family accounts. Analysis of this evidence, including a confirmed interview with Borzunov, points towards the Russian army’s culpability in these civilian deaths. Previously unseen footage from security cameras further supports these findings.
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Russia has dramatically increased monetary incentives for volunteer soldiers, with signing bonuses exceeding $23,800 in some regions and reaching almost $47,500 in others. These escalating payments reflect Russia’s difficulties in replenishing its depleted military units. The recruits largely consist of financially vulnerable individuals and susceptible youth swayed by propaganda. This escalation follows reports of intensified military registration efforts and forced conscription in occupied Ukrainian territories.
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Russia’s war in Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of at least 6,083 elite soldiers, representing a significant loss of highly trained personnel. These casualties, spanning various elite units including Airborne Forces and GRU special forces, highlight the substantial human cost of the conflict. While initially relying heavily on these elite units, Russia has increasingly depended on mobilized personnel and convicts, indicating significant depletion of its trained military forces. The actual number of Russian casualties is likely considerably higher than open-source data suggests, potentially reaching as high as 196,000.
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John Q. Hosedrinker