Russian blogger who revealed Russian casualties in Ukraine dies in apparent suicide

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A Russian military blogger has died, apparently by suicide, after receiving a barrage of criticism for revealing heavy military losses in Ukraine. His supporters blame Kremlin propagandists for his death.

Andrei Morozov, who also served as a soldier in Ukraine, said in his last post on Wednesday that he decided to “self-execute” so that his comrades would not suffer the consequences of his critical posts, which displeased military commanders. Maxim Pashkov, a lawyer who knew him, confirmed his death, stating that Morozov, 44, committed suicide with a pistol.

Morozov, known by his nickname Murz, said in a recent post that about 16,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and about 300 armored vehicles lost since October when the battle for the town of Avdiivka began. Russian troops captured Avdiivka over the weekend after Ukrainian forces withdrew.

Morozov’s comments angered a prominent Russian television host and others, who called for him to be prosecuted for “discrediting” the military. Several bloggers blamed those who attacked Morozov for his death.

In his last message before committing suicide, on his Telegram channel, Morozov said that authorities forced him to delete his previous post about Russian military losses. He harshly criticized the military leadership for turning a blind eye to losses and ignoring the needs of soldiers on the front.

Alexander Kofman, head of the Public Chamber of the Russian-controlled Donetsk region, described Morozov’s suicide as “a serious mistake” on a messaging app.

Morozov’s death comes as Russian authorities have become increasingly intolerant ahead of elections in March, in which President Vladimir Putin is virtually assured of victory. It also comes after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a penal colony in the Arctic, which has caused international complaints and dealt a severe blow to the Russian opposition.