A retired Russian general has slammed the country's defense ministry for providing troops participating in the war in Ukraine with poor quality uniforms.
The remarks were made by Russian State Duma Deputy Defense Committee Chairman Vladimir Shamanov, a former commander-in-chief of the Russian Airborne Troops, in an address to the lower house of parliament, local publication RBC reported.
Public criticism of President Vladimir Putin's military is rare, given that Russia's parliament passed legislation in March 2022 imposing jail terms of up to 15 years for intentionally spreading "fake" news about the country's army.
The Kremlin has used the law to crack down on those who veer away from Putin's narrative of the war, and it has even charged and jailed its own servicemen for "discrediting" the country's armed forces.
Shamanov led the Russian Airborne Troops from May 2009 to October 2016, and became chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee after leaving that position.
Addressing the State Duma, Shamanov compared the Russian military to a "partisan detachment," alleging that Russian soldiers are being forced to dress themselves as the military uniforms provided are of such poor quality.
"The quality of the uniforms that are brought and given out is simply not subject to any assessment," the retired colonel general said.
Newsweek contacted Russia's defense ministry for comment by email.
Reports about a lack of equipment within the Russian military began circulating just weeks into the war, in May 2022.
Several servicemen who spoke to independent online newspaper The Moscow Times' Russian Service on the condition of anonymity said they weren't being given basic items such as footwear, body armor, bandages and tourniquets, and claimed they had to purchase equipment using their own money.
"If they issue you a field uniform, you're in luck — you can save some money. We still have to buy the jacket and pants, at least as a change of clothing... I'll be happy if our outlay on the uniforms pays off and we don't get screwed out of our paycheck," one serviceman said.
"A Level 4 combat vest — which can stop pistol and rifle rounds as well as shrapnel—costs on average 70,000 rubles ($787). A helmet is another 10,000 rubles. Decent boots are about 5,000 rubles, and you really need two pairs. A tactical vest costs from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles. And you also have to buy a jacket, pants, T-shirts and pullovers. That comes out to about 200,000 rubles," he added.
In November 2022, Ukraine's military claimed that Russian conscripts deployed to the front line were being given the uniforms of dead troops. Newsweek couldn't independently verify those claims.
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Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
