Russia Forces Severely Wounded Soldiers Back into Service

In a troubling trend, Russian army representatives are increasingly visiting the homes of soldiers who were discharged from service due to medical reasons, attempting to persuade or even force them to rejoin the military.

The situation is even more dire for wounded soldiers. Military officials approach them while they are still hospitalized and undergoing treatment. Even when a soldier possesses an official medical board ruling declaring them unfit for duty, they are coerced into claiming that the ruling is fraudulent.

Following such coercion, a new medical board is convened, which then declares the severely wounded soldier fit for service. This means that individuals with serious injuries and health conditions are being sent back to the battlefield, where they are less capable of defending themselves and often face almost certain death.