Posted on 01/27/2006 7:57:56 AM PST by wagglebee
MOSCOW (AP) -- Military prosecutors and top officers on Thursday pledged a thorough inquiry into one of the most brutal hazing incidents in the Russian military in years - an 18-year-old soldier whose legs and genitals had to be amputated because of beatings and torture by fellow servicemen.
Human rights groups assailed military officials for condoning rampant bullying and warned such crimes would persist until the nation abolishes the draft in favor of an all-volunteer army.
Doctors said Pvt. Andrei Sychev's legs and genitals were amputated after the New Year's Eve incident at the Chelyabinsk Tank Academy, in which older soldiers forced him to spend hours in an unnatural crouched position and brutally beat him.
At least seven other conscripts also were beaten, but they sustained less serious injuries, prosecutors said. Russian news agencies said eight servicemen - including several officers - were detained in the Ural Mountains city of Chelyabinsk, about 1,180 miles east of Moscow.
Sychev was hospitalized several days after the beating, when he was already in critical condition and unable to stand, and investigators were seeking to determine why he was not treated immediately, a prosecutors' statement said.
Authorities failed to notify Sychev's mother, Galina, until after he underwent his first amputation. "Why didn't anyone tell me: come here, you son is in grave condition?" she said in televised remarks, wiping her tears.
Sychev, who is in grave condition and unable to speak, scribbled the name of his most cruel tormentor on a piece of paper, his mother said.
His sister, Marina, told Russian television he had pleaded with his family to come to Chelyabinsk and take him home for a New Year's leave.
When his relatives said they couldn't make the trip, Sychev said: "What shall I do here? I have got sick of looking at these drunken bastards," his sister said.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov promised to punish the culprits. "We won't cover anything ... or anyone up," he said Thursday in televised remarks.
But in comments earlier in the day, he appeared to play down the incident, saying on Ekho Mosvky radio: "There is nothing serious there, otherwise I would have certainly known about it."
His remarks sparked outrage from rights activists, who blamed military commanders for violating soldiers' rights and turning a blind eye to vicious bullying in the Russian armed forces.
According to official statistics, 16 soldiers died of hazing last year, but experts say the actual number of deaths is much higher, with many conscripts driven to suicide by abuse and other bullying deaths passed off as resulting from illnesses.
The Defense Ministry said 276 servicemen killed themselves in 2005, but didn't offer any details.
Chief Military Prosecutor Alexander Savenkov acknowledged last year that the number of hazing incidents has risen in recent years. He said half of military suicides were caused by hazing.
Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have described hazing as one of Russia's biggest rights problems and have urged Russian authorities to move against the practice.
Hazing commonly involves forcing conscripts to perform endless tasks - buying alcohol, shining boots, making beds or obtaining money for senior soldiers. It also involves physical abuse, usually by drunken soldiers, such as beatings with stools or iron rods and sometimes even sexual harassment.
"As long as we have a conscript army, as long as kids are drafted there in handcuffs, as long as officers don't regard conscripts as humans and their lives, health and dignity aren't worth anything to them, such things will continue," Valentina Melnikova, head of the Union of Committees of Soldiers' Mothers, a leading advocate for soldiers' rights, said on Ekho Moskvy.
All Russian men between the ages of 18 and 27 are required to serve two years in the armed forces - three years for the navy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly pledged to rebuild Russia's military, which has been demoralized and strapped for cash since the 1991 Soviet collapse.
By 2008, military officials plan to switch part of the armed forces from conscripts to volunteer soldiers and reduce the term of service by one year. But officials say this will require enlisting twice as many conscripts - around half a million per year.
Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent defense analyst, said underpaid and poorly trained officers are unwilling to carry out their duties and are ordering second-year conscripts to enforce discipline, which leads to abuse.
"Hazing is the only way of maintaining discipline in the armed forces," Felgenhauer told The Associated Press. "The situation with hazing will only get worse."
...in which older soldiers forced him to spend hours in an unnatural crouched position and brutally beat him.
Of course, I reserve the right to be incorrect.
There has been a long history of officers beating up on the grunt soldiers. That's why the Soviet threat was never much of a threat at all (militarily). There is no morale, and not it's probably worse.
Just read "A Mighty Fortress" about a B-17 bomber. One guy was forced to stand at attention in the freezing cold because of a minor infraction. The poor guy almost froze, could hardly warm up that night.
How long before Kerry, Durbin or Kennedy blame Bush for this?
Oh that is just so sad. Bless his heart- and I hope those that are responsible are made to pay dearly.
There is nothing serious there, otherwise I would have certainly known about it
--Really now, a man has been ruined for life, and countless other soldiers have died as a result, but there isnt anything serious going on. I dont like communists or recovering communists as much as the next guy, but that is rediculous!!!
Ah, the poor young guy. His life has been completely ruined. What a bunch of savages.
Methinks there is something rotten in the Military of Russia.
how sad! no wonder you can always spot a Russian...they always look MAD. i would be too!!!
That's why the Soviet threat was never much of a threat at all (militarily). There is no morale, and not it's probably worse...... My buddy was stationed in Bosnia a couple of years ago as a Major in the Army. He stated that the Russian soldiers ignored their own officers, but were so glad to be around american officers, they would cross a street just to salute him. When he asked one of the Russkies "Why?" they said they harbored hopes they would be assigned to him.
The system was rotten to the core to begin with.
Also, after 80 l-o-n-g years of the brutality, athiesm, cruelty and inhumanity of Communism, the system got even worse. Who would have thought that possible?
If this CAN be changed and if the Russian military and politicans WANT it to change, it will take a long, long time.
If it is to change, what will be required is many rubles, a changing attitude toward the VALUE of their young men, infinite patience and consistent, constant pressure from THEIR OWN people -- that is, the religious and business communities, workers unions, medical communities, and so on.
Foreigners wailing on them won't change them one iota. In fact, they will "dig in" and defend themselves.
If the "first world" countries pressure them, via the UN, NATO or the ever-annoying media-cum public advocates and non-profit (They are a lie.) organizations, the Russians will turn to China, Iran, etc., for whatever they need to buy or sell.
China can always do what it wants and the USA will bend over, as always. Dollars top the list of priorities at all times.
Bottom line: The change in the Russian military will have to come from within. NO OTHER way will insure permanent change and success.
Because it's Russia honey. Ain't it great!
It's no damn wonder that the Russian army can't defeat anyone decisively if at all. Needless to say, we'll never have to worry about a conflict with the Russians if one were to arise.
As you say, this sort of thing goes back centuries in the Tsarist army.
Serfs used to be conscripted as soldiers for 20+ years. Few of them ever came back. Conscription was generally considered a death sentence.
Never having achieved the status of "Worker's Paradise", it has now become "Sadist's Paradise".
Unbelievably revolting.
Government/socialistic/Democrat/Union mentality. We're here. We're so-called professionals, but we'll act, or in these cases, won't act unless you pay us like day laborers or piece good workers.
This wasn't hazing; this was torture plain and simple by sadistic older soldiers.
Yep, hazing is getting your wings or crow tacked on....This was barbarism.
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