The recent deaths of two elite Russian drone operators in Ukraine have ignited a firestorm among pro-Kremlin military bloggers, who claim that these specialists were sent into battle as regular infantrymen as punishment.
Dangerous Infantry Roles
According to Business Insider, Dmitri "Goodwin" Lîsakovski and Serghei "Ernest" Grițai were recorded expressing their discontent shortly before their deaths.
The footage, which surfaced on the Telegram channel “North Wind,” reveals that the two operators were reassigned to dangerous infantry roles after a dispute with their commander, according to Digi24.
Lîsakovski and Grițai, identified as members of the 87th Rifle Regiment fighting near Pokrovsk in Donetsk, accused their new commander, Igor Puzik, of dismantling their drone team following their conflict.
They alleged that Puzik permitted drug trafficking within his unit and misrepresented territorial gains. In one video, Lîsakovski claimed that Puzik was influenced by an officer connected to Ukrainian intelligence.
Top Drone Operators
Lîsakovski, who had a background as a lawyer and financier before joining the pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk, had previously led the reconnaissance unit of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The video recordings captured him lamenting the dire conditions faced by Russian soldiers, advising them against joining the military, and suggesting that their primary role was to die to make their commanding officer look good.
The backlash from Russian military bloggers has been intense, given that both Lîsakovski and Grițai were regarded as among the top drone operators on the front lines. Lîsakovski had repeatedly requested a transfer due to a lack of supplies and inadequate maps, highlighting the harsh realities faced by soldiers in the region.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the deaths of Grițai and Lîsakovski over the weekend and announced an investigation into the circumstances of their deaths.
