Escalating corruption in Russian armed forces impacting efficiency, warns UK Ministry of Defence
On Friday, the British Ministry of Defence released a statement emphasising the chronic corruption within the Russian armed forces and how it greatly undermines their functionality. According to the ministry, the invasion of Ukraine has seen a notable increase in the prevalence of corruption in the Russian army.
An article that concentrated on the issue of corruption within the Russian army was cited in a daily intelligence report from the Ministry of Defence. This article was published on January 30 on the independent Russian website Wiorstka.
The intricacies of corrupt practices utilised by soldiers and commanding officers were laid out in this article. This analysis was based on more than 1,000 documented instances of corruption.
Instances of bribery in the Russian Army
The article authors discovered that bribes are frequently given or solicited for various "services". The "services" identified include leaves of absence, physical fitness certifications, military promotions, vehicle operation rights, and evasion of disciplinary actions for smartphone use or cases of intoxication.
The intelligence report additionally noted that since February 2022, the "services" list for which soldiers might receive bribes has grown. It also considers certificates of sustained injuries, rewards for involvement in a "special military operation" (for instance, the Ukraine invasion), or bypassing deployment on combat missions.
The independent website Wiorstka highlighted these corrupt practices as highly profitable for compromised officers. The article also disclosed the current rates for such activities, with prices varying from 40,000 rubles (approximately £390) for dodging front-line deployment to 1 million rubles (approximately £9,800) for confirmation of injury.
Noteworthy case
The intelligence bulletin underscored the long-standing corruption issue within the Russian armed forces. It brought to attention the tragic case of journalist Dmitry Kholodov, who was investigating this topic in the early 1990s and consequently died from a bomb explosion planted in his suitcase in October 1994.
The Ministry of Defence iterated in its statement: "Corruption likely significantly weakens the effectiveness of the Russian military. The prospect of significant progress in minimizing the corruption levels remains low".
