Report claims Moscow is throwing wounded men back into battle

 The findings have intensified scrutiny of Russia’s mounting manpower problems as the war in Ukraine continues to inflict heavy losses on Moscow’s forces, reports TVP World.

Russia facing troop shortages

Analysts say Russia’s military is under growing pressure to replace large numbers of killed, wounded, and missing soldiers.

The US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has estimated total Russian casualties during the war at around 1.2 million.

Recruitment campaigns have reportedly struggled to keep pace with losses, pushing authorities to increase financial incentives and expand recruitment efforts abroad.

Investigators say the pressure to maintain troop numbers may now be contributing to wounded soldiers being returned to combat long before they are medically fit.

Soldiers sent back wounded

According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, at least 319 documented cases since 2022 involve Russian servicemen either already redeployed to the front or scheduled to return despite severe injuries.

The outlet said more than 80% of those cases involved some form of coercion.

One soldier reportedly returned to combat while still dependent on crutches after suffering a serious leg injury.

After later sustaining additional wounds from shrapnel damage to his kidney and intestine, military officials allegedly declared him unfit for service — but he was still accused of abandoning his unit and sent back again.

He was later listed as missing in action.

Am I supposed to grow a new arm?”

The investigation also highlighted cases involving soldiers with catastrophic injuries.

One serviceman, Dmitry Mishin, reportedly lost an arm during combat and was classified as temporarily unfit for service.

“Am I supposed to grow a new arm while on vacation?” Mishin reportedly said after being granted medical leave.

According to the report, he too was later returned to the battlefield.

Other cases involved troops with spinal injuries, damaged pelvises, or severe head trauma being redeployed despite ongoing treatment.

Entire groups affected

The investigation claimed the practice extends beyond isolated cases.

In one reported incident last year, 14 wounded soldiers undergoing discharge procedures were allegedly sent on a mission in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

Some reportedly relied on crutches, while one soldier had a metal plate in his skull.

Russian military lawyers cited by the outlet said forcing injured personnel back into combat is illegal under Russian law, though enforcing servicemen’s rights during wartime has become increasingly difficult.