Between May 5-6, 2024 at least 11 russian soldiers had been shot as a result of friendly fire incidents. In one incident on May 6, 2024 russian military police were actively searching for a russian soldier who killed 6 fellow russian soldiers. The soldier is a former prisoner recruit in a Storm-Z unit attached to russian artillery battalion in temporarily occupied Donetsk, Ukraine. In a separate incident near Polohy on May 5, 2024, a russian soldier from the 38th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade shot 5 soldiers after consuming alcohol, according to the UK Defense Intelligence.
Russian friendly fire incidents have occurred throughout the duration of the war in Ukraine. These incidents can have deadly consequences for civilian bystanders. In mid-August 2023 Chechen fighters and russian soldiers opened fire on each other following a drunken altercation in Urzuf, near Mariupol, reportedly leaving 11 dead, including four russian soldiers and seven civilians.
Read more: British Intelligence: Recent Ukrainian Attacks Weaken russian Air Defense in Crimea
These friendly fire incidents are symptomatic of a combination of low morale, alcohol abuse, as well as inter-ethnic tensions. The continuous use of embedded Storm-Z fighters on the battlefront with criminal records and a history of violence, has further exacerbated friendly fire incidents.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence Analyzes russia’s Defense Leadership Overhaul
