Families of veterans complain “soldiers are denied compensation for their injuries unless they suffered combat-related physical damage”
A significant number of Russian soldiers who served in the Ukraine war and were discharged due to illness are reportedly being virtually abandoned without proper compensation.
Russian media outlet Lenta.ru reported on the 23rd (local time) that a total of 41,000 veterans have been discharged due to health problems since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.
Many of them suffered severe injuries from gunshots or grenade blasts during combat.
The count also includes soldiers who were considered unfit for duty service due to stress-induced illnesses on the battlefield or other factors.
However, the media outlet pointed out that veterans who were discharged due to illnesses not related to combat injuries are largely excluded from material compensation.
Dmitry Jurablev from the western Chuvash Republic, signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense to become a career soldier while serving in September 2022.
According to the contract, he was supposed to serve at a Moscow military base, but he was immediately deployed to the Belgorod region, Russia’s border with Ukraine, underwent shooter training and was then sent to the Ukraine conflict.
Subsequently, Jurablev experienced health issues while on duty.
In October of that year, he felt itching and burning sensations between his shoulder blades, followed by a fever reaching higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Large red spots were also spreading on his back.
After being transported to a hospital and diagnosed with SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), he was treated for a week and discharged, but his health deteriorated and he was admitted to another military hospital.
At the time, he was in a coma and underwent rehabilitation therapy after regaining consciousness as he was unable to move his arms and legs.
Upon examination, Jurablev was diagnosed with Lyme disease, a condition caused by tick bites, and the Russian Ministry of Defense deemed him unfit for service.
However, the Military Medical Commission excluded him from the national insurance payout list because his disease was not included in the list of specific diseases approved by the Russian government.
He also did not receive the compensation of 3 million rubles (approximately $40,000) that was given to injured soldiers who served in the Ukraine war.
Russia offers a one-time payment of 3 million rubles to soldiers injured in the ‘Special Military Operation in Ukraine,’ and 5 million rubles (approximately $67,000) to the families of fallen soldiers under a Presidential Decree.
Jurablev said, “I served in the military, participated in combat, and became disabled, but I was left without any help,” and is currently suing for compensation for the damage caused by his participation in the war.
Victor Piskunov, who was deployed to the war in Ukraine in November 2022, was also diagnosed with a heart condition while on duty and discharged but was excluded from the national insurance payout list.
Families of veterans of the Ukraine war have complained, “Even if soldiers were discharged for health reasons, they are often denied compensation for their injuries unless they suffered combat-related physical damage like the cases of Jurablev and Piskunov.”
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