Suicides a problem in Russian army
58 young men died as a result of non-combat-related causes in military detachments within Leningrad Military District last year.
Leningrad Military District covers Northwest Russia, including the five Russian member districts of the Barents Region, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Karelia, Komi and Nenets.
The St. Petersburg Times reports that nationwide, the figure last year totaled 273 deaths, and suicides account for more than half of non-combat deaths in the armed forces.
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The St. Petersburg Soldiers’ Mothers human rights organization claims that investigations into suicides and alleged abuses typically lead nowhere.
