Three former soldiers are suing Russia's Defense Ministry for nearly killing them in a tank exercise

Three former soldiers who were seriously injured at a training grounds outside St. Petersburg in 2017 are trying to sue Russia's Defense Ministry for 6 million rubles ($91,925). Vadim Gabidulin, Arsen Osmanov, and Dmitry Pakhmutov seek compensation for psychological distress and medical bills, their attorney (“Zona Prava” human rights lawyer Dmitry Gerasimov) told Meduza.

In June 2017, during a planned tank exercise, four soldiers were stationed directly in the line of fire. One of the men, Andrey Vittikh, was fatally wounded and died at the scene. The other soldiers were seriously injured.

This February, the officers responsible for the live-fire exercise, lieutenant colonels Denis Gorelyshev and Viktor Krivoshein, were given three-year suspended sentences and one year of probation.