Commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces Communications Center commits suicide

Yuriy Annekov, commander of the 678th Air and Space Defense Communications Center of the Russian Defense Ministry, committed suicide.

The Telegram channel “VCHK-OGPU” reported this with reference to sources.

The corpse of Yuriy Annenkov, commander of the communication center of military unit 43431, was found at the end of last week in a forest belt in Balashikha near Moscow. Three empty bottles of vodka and empty pill packs were found near the body.

At home, relatives found a suicide note in which the commander complained of despair and said goodbye.

It is reported that the suicide took place due to a conflict with the unit’s leadership.

“Recently, Yuriy was deeply depressed and shared that the conditions in the service were unbearable: lack of rest and inadequate command behavior,” the Telegram channel reported.

It is noted that Yuriy Annenkov served in the RAF for about 20 years and “was one of those who tried to resist the chaos and disorder in the Russian Aerospace Forces, which uncovered itself with the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

Suicides in the Russian military

Since the end of 2023, there has been a steady upward trend in the number of suicides among Russian military personnel on the front lines.

The total number of recorded cases is not yet high. For example, the Telegram channel Ukraine Happening Pictures, as of September 21, 2024, counted a total of 130 cases filmed on video from drones.

The exact cause of this phenomenon is not yet known. Theories include the demonization of Ukrainians by Russian state propaganda, the lack of evacuation, the fear of commanders, and the moral and psychological state of the military.

On August 30, 2024, a representative of Ukrainian military intelligence told the Kyiv Post on condition of anonymity that there has indeed been a wave of suicides among the Russian military recently. Their number is growing.

“Some are deliberately driven to such a step by bullying, threats, and a sense of total hopelessness. And someone commits suicide, abandoned on the battlefield,” he said.