According to a report carried by independent investigative media Mozhem Obyasnit (We Can Explain), a Russian soldier who was severely injured in the battle against Ukraine received two buckets of carrots and a bag of onions as compensation from the government.
For the tale, the soldier’s wife was reportedly interviewed by the publication. She stated that although the family had expected to get financial compensation for the pain her husband had endured, all they received was veggies.
Oleg Rybkin, 45, a soldier from Russia’s Volgograd district, was mobilized to fight in Ukraine in September 2022. Rybkin was engaged in fighting near the town of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in June 2023, the epicenter of the counteroffensive operation undertaken by Ukrainian troops.
Oleg Rybkin was injured in the intestines, liver, and kidneys during one of the operations, and his right knee joint was damaged. Rybkin was subsequently sent to a local hospital in Ukraine for stomach surgery, with the military medical commission declaring him “temporarily unfit” to battle. He was later taken to Saint Petersburg for rehabilitation.
According to Irina Rybakina, her husband is still in excruciating pain and requires knee surgery, for which no compensation has been granted. She stated that the military command did not want to be compelled to pay the 3 million rubles ($32,730) in compensation and a lifetime pension.
“He has severe pain, his knee cannot straighten, and he cannot walk without crutches. He’s on painkillers and sleeping pills,” Irina Rybkina told the outlet.
“What vegetables, what gifts, do I need to replace my husband’s joint and get him discharged!” she added.
Similar occurrences
Oleg’s example is not the only one to emerge from Russia during the continuing conflict. Khizri Kurazov, a Russian corporal, was denied regular compensation for his battle injuries in October because they were inflicted by his own colleagues rather than Ukrainian forces.
Kurazov was a corporal in the Russian Guard’s military unit 3737 when he was injured in Ukraine by a mine accidentally detonated by a fellow unit soldier.
The case was heard in court, and the judge ruled that there was no basis for the corporal to receive the lump sum payment, and Kurazov’s commander ordered that the claim be denied.
Kurazov then appealed his case to the southern district military court in Rostov-on-Don, but the original verdict was confirmed by a panel of three military court judges — Viktor Alekseevich Kostin, Dmitry Viktorovich Merkulov, and Magomedbasir Gapurovich Shuaipov.