An investigation by independent Russian media outlet ASTRA has alleged that a Russian soldier died after fellow servicemen subjected him to a prolonged assault inside his own military unit, renewing scrutiny of abuse and hazing within Russia's armed forces. The findings, based on interviews with people connected to the soldier's family and military unit, have not been independently verified by Reuters or other major international news organisations because of restrictions on independent reporting inside Russia and occupied Ukrainian territory.
The soldier, identified as Dmitry Poloymov, allegedly died after being restrained for several days and assaulted by members of his own unit. The investigation also claimed military commanders later attempted to conceal the incident by sending two suspected attackers on a high-risk combat mission before investigators could question them.
