A Russian soldier was allegedly fatally shot by one of his comrades, following a conflict that erupted over attempts to sell a thermal vision device captured from the front, according to information provided by the partisan movement Ateș.
In a statement published on Saturday, Ateș claims that the incident involved three soldiers from the 33rd Motorized Infantry Regiment of the Russian Federation and would have taken place in the Kirovski district of the Donetsk region, under Russian occupation. The exact date of the event is not specified, writes kyivpost.com.
According to the report, the three soldiers were in a local bar and were consuming alcohol when a dispute broke out over the amount for which a “thermal vision camera”, obtained from the front line, was to be sold. The argument allegedly continued outside the bar, where one of the soldiers reportedly pulled out a gun and opened fire. One soldier died on the spot, the cited source claims.
Thermal vision devices are extremely valuable on the battlefield, as they allow the detection of enemy movements at night or in conditions of reduced visibility, providing a significant tactical advantage. On the military equipment market, such devices can cost from about $1,000 to several thousand dollars, depending on performance.
The Ateș movement also claims that the Russian military authorities would try to cover up the incident, presenting it as a case of “negligent handling of a firearm”. “The command is trying to limit access to information and prevent the news from spreading beyond the unit”, the statement reads.
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