Andrei Morozov, who was renowned in Russia for his military blogging under the pseudonym Murz, reportedly took his own life this week. Morozov’s alleged suicide has raised suspicions and doubts, as it followed a period of intense scrutiny and pressure from Moscow authorities. This scrutiny was a result of his scathing online revelations about the Russian army’s operations in Ukraine. Some critics have even suggested that Morozov’s death might have been orchestrated by Kremlin officials, rather than being a self-inflicted act.
Earlier, Morozov had caused a stir by disclosing that the Russian army had suffered severe losses during attempts to seize control of Abdiyevka, a city in the Donetsk region. According to his claims, the Russian army had lost over 16,000 soldiers and 300 military vehicles in the conflict since October. These reports were met with significant backlash from government-associated officials and media outlets in Moscow. They denounced Morozov’s publications and called for his prosecution under a law against “defamation of the army”. This legislation, which was enacted at the start of the war, threatens penalties of up to 15 years in prison for those found guilty.
Before his death, Morozov stated that he had removed his post about the Russian army’s losses due to pressure from army officials. Despite this, he continued to critique the army’s operations and the heavy casualties they were suffering in Ukraine.
In a related story, Spanish intelligence officials believe that high-ranking Russian officials may be implicated in the recent murder of Maxim Kuzminov. Kuzminov, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine in August, was found dead in his Spanish home earlier this week. He had been living under a false identity for several months prior to his death. According to the Spanish newspaper Al-Fais, Spanish intelligence sources suggest that Kuzminov’s assassination was likely ordered by the Kremlin, which allegedly dispatched a team of assassins to carry out the deed. However, it remains undetermined which specific Russian security or intelligence agency might be directly responsible for the assassination.
Kuzminov’s body was discovered in an underground parking lot in the town of Viejousa (Villajoyosa), where he had been residing under a pseudonym. Ukrainian security officials disclosed that they had previously cautioned Kuzminov against leaving Ukraine, warning him that his life could be at risk if he chose to do so.
