Russian doctor faces charges for implanting shrapnel into soldiers to fake combat injuries — and receive government payouts

Russian authorities have initiated criminal proceedings against a military doctor who allegedly implanted ammunition fragments into soldiers to imitate combat wounds — and thus make them eligible for additional compensation. The development was reported by Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia's Investigative Committee.

According to the Investigative Committee, after the surgery, the doctor falsified his patients' medical records to create official grounds for payouts. As a result of these actions, the defendants reportedly stole roughly $120,000 from the state.

The names of the medic and his accomplices have not been disclosed. Bastrykin also did not specify when and in which region of Russia the case was filed.

In March 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a decree on a lump sum payment to servicemen for injuries sustained during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The payout amounted to the equivalent of $30,000. In November 2024, this amount was increased to $40,000 for soldiers who received a disability at the front.