Regrettably, suicides within the Belarusian military are a very widespread phenomenon. The system itself, built on hazing, repression, senselessness of actions, and the “I’m the boss – you’re an idiot” approach, coupled with a hyper-stressful environment and various forms of violence (both psychological and physical), frequently pushes young individuals to take their own lives, without waiting for the end of one’s service term.

Presently, in the Belarusian online sphere, fragmented pieces of information are circulating about another suicide incident that occurred at the notorious military training center in Pechi, Borisov district (Minsk region). Based on the available information, another conscripted soldier has tragically taken his own life there.

Journalists from one of the Belarusian independent publications have spoken with a soldier currently serving in this military unit. He shared, “On the night of August 3rd to 4th, a paratrooper guy committed suicide. He carried away from the shooting range a certain specialized cartridge after the shooting practice; there was nothing left of his head. They say he didn’t want to join the army. He tried to evade military service. But they took him in. More recently, writings resembling either notes or poems were discovered in his possession. They began working with him. A chief ideologist with the last name Pechennik took charge of his case. And after that, the guy shot himself.”

Judging by the description, the young man took his own life using a round with explosive bullet. Regular soldiers don’t have access to such ammunition, but paratroopers do, as they undergo advanced combat training. On the other hand, if such a bullet hits the head, identifying the person by their face is indeed impossible. Therefore, one cannot exclude (especially considering all the previous incidents in Pechi) that it was either a murder or an attempt to cover up evidence of violence on the soldier who ended his life in suicide due to bullying.

In any case, it’s too early to draw conclusions. State and military officials are concealing information, so neither the place of residence nor the name of the deceased are known yet. We can only hope that the truth will eventually come to light.

Our House

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