In Zhodino, 23-year-old conscription soldier Vladimir Maksimov has died — another tragedy that once again raises serious questions about safety, psychological support, and accountability within Belarus’s conscription system.

In the city of Zhodino, on the night of 13 January 2026, 23-year-old conscription soldier Vladimir Maksimov took his own life.

Vladimir was originally from Barysaw near Zhodino. In the autumn of 2025, he was sent to perform compulsory military service in military unit No. 44540, located in Zhodino. In November of the same year, he got married.

The circumstances of his death are officially under investigation. However, previous cases of suicides among conscripts in Belarus show that thorough and transparent internal investigations are rarely conducted. The public is left without answers to critical questions: whether timely psychological assistance was provided, whether the recruit’s mental and emotional condition was properly assessed at the military enlistment office, and whether risks were identified during the medical examination.

The systemic secrecy of the army and military enlistment offices, the absence of independent oversight, and the lack of real psychological support turn compulsory military service into a high-risk environment for young men.

Each such death is not only a personal tragedy for a family, but also a consequence of a system in which human life is subordinated to the formal fulfilment of mobilisation plans.

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