Russian Conscript Shoots Ten Fellow Soldiers

Young Russian military conscripts often face dedovshchina, a cruel form of hazing. (Flickr).

A Russian conscript shot ten of his fellow soldiers on October 25, killing eight and seriously injuring two. The soldier, who Russia's Investigative Committee has identified as Ramil Shamsutdinov, was detained after the incident. 

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Shamsutdinov shot the soldiers after suffering a severe “nervous breakdown over personal problems unrelated to his military duties.” Whether or not the Defense Ministry knew that the conscript had mental health issues prior to the incident is unknown.

The shooting occurred in Gorny, a village in the Zabaikalsk region of eastern Russia. Precise details of the incident have yet to be disclosed. However, Interfax, a major Russian news media company, has reported that the suspect opened fire during a guard change. The unit is home to multiple ballistic missiles with nuclear capability.

There is a possibility that the soldier’s breakdown is linked to bullying and violence that young soldiers, such as Shamsutdinov, experience in the Russian military. This hazing, known as dedovshchina or “rule of grandfathers,” has a long history in the Russian military. The Russian army has an extremely high rate of suicide, averaging around 500 per year. Military prosecutors have argued that these suicides can be directly linked to dedovshchina, and multiple civil rights movements have fought to stop cruel forms of hazing such as rape, violent beatings, physical mutilation, and deprivation of sleep and food. 

A representative from the Defense Ministry is scheduled to travel to the base to investigate the shooting. The two injured soldiers were sent to the hospital and are currently in stable condition.