Main image: Military Unit 43431 in Balashikha, Google Maps
Commander of the 678th Communication Center of the Russian Ministry of Defense's Aerospace Forces, Yurii Annenkov, Commits Suicide.
This was reported by the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, citing sources.
The body of the head of the communication unit of military unit 43431, Yurii Annenkov, was discovered at the end of last week in a forest belt in Balashikha, near Moscow. Three empty vodka bottles and empty pill packets were found near the body.
At home, relatives found a suicide note in which the commander expressed despair and said goodbye.
It is reported that the suicide occurred amid a conflict with the unit's leadership.
"Recently, Yurii was in deep depression and shared that conditions in the service were unbearable: lack of rest and inadequate behavior from the command," the Telegram channel stated.
It is noted that Yurii Annenkov served in the Aerospace Forces for about 20 years and "was one of those who tried to resist the chaos and disorder in the Aerospace Forces, which manifested with the onset of the war in Ukraine." Since the end of 2023, there has been a constant trend of increasing suicides among military personnel in the Russian army at the front.
The total number of recorded cases is still not high. As of September 21, 2024, the Telegram channel Ukraine Happening Pictures reported a total of 130 cases captured on drone video.
The exact cause of this phenomenon is currently unknown. Among the theories, factors mentioned include the demonization of Ukrainians by Russian state propaganda, lack of evacuation, fear of commanders, and the moral and psychological state of the military.