(ROSTOV-ON-DON) — A junior sergeant from the Russian 1435th Separate Assault Detachment has released a video testimony detailing a lucrative extortion racket within the military. Denis Kolesnikov, who served for over eighteen months, alleged that commanders routinely demand between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000 Russian roubles (RUB) from subordinates to avoid deployment to high risk frontline positions. Based on current exchange rates, this represents a range of approximately 10,850 USD to 32,550 USD (Ten thousand, eight hundred and fifty to thirty-two thousand, five hundred and fifty US Dollars).
The testimony was published by Vladimir Romanov, a prominent Russian military blogger on his Telegram channel, Romanov LIVE. Kolesnikov identifies three commanders—using the callsigns Ulugbek, Bizon, and Semyon—as the primary architects of the scheme. He claims that soldiers who refuse or are unable to pay are considered “useless” and are subsequently “neutralised” or “zeroed out,” a military euphemism for execution. According to the sergeant, at least half of a fifty man group in his regiment was killed by their own command.
Kolesnikov described a methodical process where new recruits are designated as “cash cows.” They are reportedly transported to settlements such as Snizhne or Dmytrivka to withdraw funds, which are then converted to cash and delivered to the senior officers. The sergeant alleges that these funds are eventually couriered to Yekaterinburg by administrative staff. Those unable to pay are often tied to trees or sent to the most lethal sectors of the Line of Contact (LBS) without adequate support. In some instances, the command allegedly fakes combat deaths by placing grenades under the bodies of murdered soldiers to simulate Ukrainian drone strikes.
The testimony also includes allegations of large scale theft and the illicit sale of military equipment. Kolesnikov cited the case of a young mortarman from Kazan whose vehicles were seized and sold by commanders before he was “neutralised.” Furthermore, the sergeant claims that high ranking connections within the Russian military and security services ensure that complaints to the prosecutor’s office or the Federal Security Service (FSB) are intercepted. Once a complainant is identified, they are reportedly killed to prevent further leaks.
While joining the army in Moscow offers a significant one-time payment of 2.3 million RUB, approximately 24,950 USD (Twenty-four thousand, nine hundred and fifty US Dollars), Kolesnikov suggests that survival often requires surrendering these earnings to commanders. Bribes are also reportedly used to facilitate the delivery of alcohol, drugs, and sex workers to the trenches. Having escaped to Moscow under the pretext of withdrawing 3 million RUB to pay his own commanders, Kolesnikov stated he remains willing to serve but seeks a transfer to a unit not governed by criminal extortion.
