A Russian soldier, Alexander Gusev, from the Kursk region, has fallen into a coma following a seemingly minor injury to his finger.
A Superficial Wound
Gusev, who enlisted with the Ministry of Defense in June 2024, was injured during Russia’s Special Military Operation (SMO) on July 19. His wound appeared to be superficial, involving a fragment lodged in his index finger, according to Lenta.
Despite being transferred to several hospitals, including those in Makiivka, Starobilsk, and Izhevsk, Gusev’s condition steadily worsened.
By the end of summer, communication with Gusev ceased, and his family grew increasingly concerned.
They were later informed that his condition had deteriorated during surgery, causing a sharp drop in blood pressure, respiratory failure, and a lack of oxygen to the brain. Gusev slipped into a coma as a result of the complications.
Brain Damage From Lack of Oxygen
His sister, Maria Verbitskaya, accused the medical staff at a hospital in Samara of neglecting her brother.
According to her, it was only after she sought help from the military prosecutor that a doctor finally contacted her, explaining that Gusev had suffered oxygen deprivation, which caused severe brain cell damage. The prognosis, she was told, was not optimistic.
A brief glimmer of hope appeared when Gusev regained consciousness and began responding to basic commands. However, shortly afterward, he was transferred to Hospital No. 426 in an unconscious state once again, with doctors diagnosing him with suspected hypoxic encephalopathy, a condition resulting from brain damage due to lack of oxygen.
The Samara Ministry of Health responded to the family’s accusations, claiming that all necessary medical procedures had been performed and that signs of recovery had been noted. Despite these assurances, Gusev’s family remains unsure of his future and is demanding more transparency about his current condition.
