A story in today's Wall Street Journal [Doubts Persist About Death of Russian Soldier in Syria ] is a reminder that the Russians handle the deaths of their soldiers differently than some of the rest of us. This story is about the "suicide" of a soldier stationed in Syria. Russian villagers in his home town doubt his suicide, and complain that other similar incidents have occurred with soldiers in the Ukraine and elsewhere.
In the Ukraine, a number of special operations forces were killed, and they were memorialized in a Moscow ceremony attended by somebody with a cell phone. There was video to prove their loss, but the families did not hear about how they died. They were heroic deaths, of course. An organization of mothers complained that soldiers were killed and they were never told anything. Imagine not knowing that your child was dead, never hearing from them, or getting a letter from the government saying he was gone. This was not uncommon in Russia at any time in history.
It will take time to find out the truth, but it is harsh life being a soldier in Russia. There is no point in making it any harder.
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