Investigators have uncovered a suspected scheme where numerous Russian soldiers reportedly inflicted injuries on themselves to fraudulently obtain compensation, resulting in an estimated loss of about £2 million for the Russian military.
The focus of Russia’s Investigative Committee is Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Frolov, who is recognized by the call sign “Executioner.” Frolov, previously celebrated in Russian media, is now under scrutiny for his alleged involvement in the scam.
Frolov once featured in a Ministry of Defense video, passionately declaring his commitment to Russia’s victory in Ukraine and proudly sharing stories of shrapnel wounds from a so-called near miss.
However, officials now contend that these injuries were not genuine.
The committee alleges that Frolov, along with a fellow commander from the elite 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade, orchestrated a plot where over 30 soldiers and medics intentionally harmed themselves to claim injury compensation.
This fraudulent operation reportedly swindled the army out of 200 million rubles, about £2 million, with accusations that the commanders received a portion of the illicit funds.
Frolov is now facing charges of fraud, bribery and weapons trafficking in a military court.
According to court filings, he has struck a pretrial deal that amounts to admitting guilt, a move that could reduce his sentence. He is expected to appear in court next month for sentencing.
Konstantin Frolov, known by the call sign ‘Executioner’, is facing charges of fraud, bribery and weapons trafficking in a military court
Frolov, a decorated officer, being interviewed by Russian television prior to the case
Speaking to the New York Times from a detention centre in Moscow in 2025, Frolov did not deny involvement in a scheme to get money from injury payments but disputed the allegations of self-inflicted wounds.
He claimed it instead involved manipulated record keeping, and said soldiers in his unit claimed injuries took place in several incidents, leading them to receive more than one payout, although he said he did not view this as fraud.
Referring to separate weapons trafficking charges, he admitted taking some arms as ‘souvenirs’.
Frolov further claimed he was being singled out while others escaped punishment, suggesting his prosecution was retaliation for criticising senior military leadership and accusing officials of sending troops into mass casualty ‘meat grinder’ assaults.
‘They want to pin everything on us because we spoke out against the command, against those old men in charge,’ he said.
Addressing the court in August 2024, the Colonel said: ‘It turns out that my country, which spent the whole year calling me a hero, is now contradicting itself and keeping me in a cage.’
The 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade, based near Vladivostok, has also been linked to other corruption cases.
Russia’s Investigative Committee claims more than 30 soldiers and medics deliberately shot themselves to qualify for compensation payments
Under a decree signed by Putin in November 2024, Russian soldiers are entitled to 3 million rubles for severe injuries and 1 million rubles for minor ones
A former commander, Colonel Artem Gorodilov, was arrested in 2024 on suspicion of ‘large-scale fraud’ and is being tried separately.
He previously led a regiment accused by Ukrainian prosecutors of committing at least 40 war crimes during the occupation of Bucha.
Under a decree signed by Putin in November 2024, Russian soldiers are entitled to 3 million rubles for severe injuries and 1 million rubles for minor ones, creating a financial incentive that investigators believe was exploited.
In testimonies from within the brigade, one paratrooper said commanders encouraged soldiers to exaggerate injuries and demanded a share of compensation payments.
He said: ‘If you want a vacation, you need to be injured. The idea was: “We injure you, you give us the money — a million — and then you go on leave as a result of the injury and end up with two million.” That’s how they made money on it.’
Another soldier said that ‘money still determines everything’ in the Russian military, adding that the war had become a business for some.
One paratrooper said commanders encouraged soldiers to exaggerate injuries and demanded a share of compensation payments
At least 12 senior military officials and generals have been charged with corruption in recent years, alongside dozens of lower ranking officers
At least 12 senior military officials and generals have been charged with corruption in recent years, alongside dozens of lower ranking officers.
Analysts say the case points to deep-rooted corruption within the military, with Pavel Luzin, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, describing an officer corps that is ‘demoralized and decayed’.
Tatiana Stanovaya, of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, added: ‘When people profit from tragedy — from a war that is sacred to Putin — it generates political fuel for other actors, including security officials seeking career advancement and those willing to push such cases forward.’
Despite his public image as a frontline hero, social media posts from Frolov’s wife showed him attending weddings and concerts, as well as travelling across Russia during the war.
Frolov has suggested he is being held to a double standard, pointing out that some convicted criminals have been pardoned in exchange for fighting in Ukraine.
‘I mostly had convicts under my command,’ he said. ‘People are forgiven for almost anything — to make them go to fight in the war. But we were brought back from the front and sent to prison.’
