This article was updated on June 20 to reflect iStories' correction of its reported number of complaints from 42,000 to 8,000.
The Kremlin received more than 8,000 complaints against the Defense Ministry amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, investigative outlet iStories has reported.
Official data revealed that President Vladimir Putin’s administration received 3,029 requests related to the use of the Russian Armed Forces abroad, 2,362 complaints related to the contract service, and 1,124 related to the conscription service.
Another 65 requests were sent in connection to missing or captured soldiers.
“The types of people who write to the president are usually loyal, but apolitical,” Abbas Gallyamov, political consultant and former Putin speechwriter, told iStories.
The Russian military has not released any official figures on its Ukraine death toll since March 25, when it said that 1,351 men had died during the conflict.
Independent investigations have since placed the toll at almost 4,000, based on publicly available data from local authorities and social media.
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