Prominent pro-war blogger and Russian soldier Andrei Morozov has reportedly committed suicide after upsetting his commanders for disclosing high military casualties in Moscow's recent capture of the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka.
Morozov, known by his call sign “Murz,” regularly criticized Russia’s military and political leadership on his Telegram channel over shortages of weapons, bureaucratic inefficiencies and rampant deception.
“Murz has shot himself. We spoke last night, nothing foreshadowed [his death],” lawyer Maxim Pashkov, who knew Morozov, said Wednesday, adding to a series of reports of his suicide by other pro-war bloggers.
Morozov wrote last week that 16,000 Russian troops had died in the capture of Avdiivka, which he compared to the deaths of some 7,000 retreating Ukrainian troops. Russian forces stepped up their efforts to capture the eastern industrial hub in October and declared its full seizure over the weekend.
Russia’s Defense Ministry did not disclose its casualty figures in the months-long campaign for Avdiivka, which had a pre-war population of 31,400.
A series of what appear to be lengthy suicide notes were published earlier Wednesday on Morozov’s Telegram channel, which has over 100,000 subscribers.
In the notes, Morozov accuses his commanders of forcing him to delete a post about Russia’s high casualties in Avdiivka and implicates state TV news anchors of pressuring his commanders.
“Russia is my home, invaded by enemies: the servile a**-lickers of their superiors; generals ready to sacrifice thousands of soldiers just to ‘distinguish’ themselves; journalists who build their careers on lies from the screen,” Morozov wrote.
The Moscow Times could not immediately verify the reports of Morozov’s death.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
