Two drone operators complained that their superior sent them to an infantry unit because they dared to criticize him. Shortly after, the two were killed, and pro-war commentators openly expressed their dissatisfaction.
The death of two Russian drone operators in Ukraine sparked harsh reactions from pro-Kremlin Russian bloggers, unhappy that the specialists were sent to fight at the forefront of an infantry unit.
In a video recording made before their death, Dmitri Lisakovski and Sergei Gritai said they were sent on a suicide mission after having a conflict with their superior.
The clip featuring them was broadcasted on Telegram after their death. Both were soldiers in Infantry Regiment 87 fighting near Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, as reported by Business Insider.
Lies Wreak Havoc in the Russian Army
Lisakovski and Gritai accused their new commander, Igor Puzik, of disbanding the drone group to retaliate against them for disagreeing with him and scattered the people into infantry platoons. They further claimed that Puzik facilitated drug trafficking in his unit and falsely reported battlefield successes achieved under his command.
Lisakovski recorded a separate video message vehemently criticizing Puzik. He also alleged that the officer was influenced by a soldier who was in contact with Ukrainian intelligence. "Lies are an absolute rule. I'm recording this in case I don't return from the attack, and only then will this message carry weight," he said.
In another video clip made later, Lisakovski said he was about to leave to take part in an attack and asked Russians not to join the war. "Your task is to die here so that the regiment commander's report to his superiors looks good. They are his serfs," Lisakovski said.
According to Russian media, Lisakovski was a well-known figure before the war. He presented himself as a former lawyer and financier who ended up fighting alongside separatist forces in the Donetsk region in 2014. According to Kommersant newspaper, in 2016, he became the head of the aerial reconnaissance unit.
On the other hand, Gritai was a career officer known among Russian military bloggers.
In their joint video message, the two men said they followed their commander's orders because they had sworn allegiance to their homeland.
Pokrovsk, the city in the Donetsk region where the two drone specialists were sent, has become a hotspot in the eastern front. In the last 24 hours, the Russians concentrated their offensive operations in Pokrovsk and Kurakhove, where they attacked Ukrainian positions 36 and 42 times, respectively, the Ukrainian army's General Staff reported this morning.
Russians Sabotage Themselves
The video recording sparked a wave of discontent among Russian military bloggers after learning about the deaths of the two. Many of the negative reactions emerged after bloggers said Lisakovski and Gritai were among the best drone operators on the front lines.
Many posted screenshots of messages in which Lisakovski asked for help to be transferred from this unit. "There are no supplies, maps, plans for mined terrains. Nothing," he said on September 10.
Dozens of Russian commentators criticized the circumstances in which the two died, some calling for a ban on transferring specialists like snipers or drone operators to infantry units.
"Simply reusing an efficient drone reconnaissance crew in infantry attacks under current conditions is sabotage (…)," wrote pro-Kremlin Russian journalist Alexander Kots.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the deaths of the two drone operators on Sunday and promised to investigate the deaths.
The investigation is said to be conducted under the "personal control" of Viktor Goremikin, Deputy Minister of Defense, and Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, as stated in the Moscow Defense Ministry's declaration.
The army leadership's announcement partially quelled the dissatisfaction. However, several prominent bloggers continued to express concern about the growing trend among army commanders to waste valuable specialists in frontal attacks on Ukrainian positions.
Political commentator Sviatoslav Golikov wrote that this issue has become "systemic" in the army due to the shortage of personnel on the battlefield. "This particular problem will be solved. But only because it caused a stir," wrote the Telegram channel Dva Majora.
T.D.