Anonymous Twitter Account Blows the Whistle on Wounded from Ukraine in Russian Military Hospital

A child goes into a captured armored vehicle that was exhibited in Kyiv as part of the proof of Russian military presence in Ukraine. Image by Geovien So at Demotix.

A child goes into a captured armored vehicle that was exhibited in Kyiv as part of the proof of Russian military presence in Ukraine. Image by Geovien So at Demotix.

An anonymous account on Twitter claiming to be a Russian soldier at a military hospital in a Russian town is providing undercover reports on the wounded brought from the frontlines in Ukraine.

The account, @ponimaem, started tweeting on Thursday, February 26. The bio says simply “ну вы же понимаете в какой стране живем?” (“You do understand what kind of country we live in?”) and the avatar features an anonymous person in a mask holding their finger to their lips, as if to underscore the anonymity of the author.

For over a month I've been a patient at a military hospital in one of Russia's towns, and I constantly hear talk of Donestk and Lugansk.

The anonymous soldier says he's using his hospital neighbor's laptop and a VPN connection to send the tweets. While the user doesn't have access to any papers of the wounded brought in, he has promised to provide more proof of being in the hospital.

I really am at a military hospital, where DNR and LNR fighters are being brought at night. [Image of sheets with typical military hospital insignia]

Although the soldier says he himself has only served inside Russia and never went to Ukraine, his rationale for making his observations public, he says, is to “exculpate some of the guilt” of being part of the “Russian world” fighting in Ukraine.

The user says wounded fighters are brought in every night, under cover of darkness, in secret. While he isn't sure in every case whether they're soldiers of the regular army, volunteers or mercenaries, @ponimaem writes the doctors always get to them last, usually after 9:00 p.m., and their arrival and treatment are always covert.

Every night 3-4 fighters for the “Russian world” are brought to our hospital in cars without any insignia.

Users’ reactions to the account have been mixed, with some praising the anonymous whistleblower's bravery, and others accusing him of treason. @ponimaem says he's aware of the danger of being found out, but feels like talking about the things he sees is something he has to do.

I understand very well that I can be accused of treason for these words, but better do this then look my children in the eye with shame later.

Being able to create and maintain anonymous accounts on social media remains a key guarantee of freedom of expression, especially in countries where free speech is under threat. Russia's recent suggestions of restricting access to anonymization and circumvention tools such as Tor, VPNs, and proxy-servers, as well as the Kremlin's continued pressure on Twitter to disclose user data put anonymous whistleblowers like @ponimaem under direct threat.

9 comments

  • Storm Bringer

    Fake Ukrainians are good at it

  • Jake Turk

    Putin’s actually hospitalizing his wounded instead of just shooting them and shipping in more Chechen, Kalmyk, and Buryat cannon fodder? Wow. He must really be getting desperate. Cargo 200 is getting expensive these days.

    • Valhalkarie

      You are obviously a simple brainwashed American,see the world can tell when they are talking to one. For “y’all” think any country that has views of America as war mongers,puppet government installers,or simply speeks out about terrible unlawful envisions,assassinations or simply does not like that the American government and it’s life of these princables. For,the sole reason is to keep there friends in high places wealthy and employed by never ending war. None of these squirms he’s have anything to do with national security/invasion. Your constitution was made by men that hated the elete that run ther entire existence on constant war. So they found a new nation that was rooted in peace and happiness,that ONLY can go to war Ever,only to repen an invasion. In thing else,this is what set it apart from oppressive eroupe! Your country has been taken over by those entities and even stole your fucking banking system! Wake up! Not everyone that doesn’t like you gives you the right to invade! I thank god many if your countrymen have awoken. But for you to talk shit about putin based on your fake news y’all have in the USA is sad. Did you kniw your news media is now akin more so than soviet state run TV in the 80’s! Wake up!

    • Nondescript

      No reply to the actual comment just a bunch of ad-hominems.
      The Kremlin paid trolls ARE getting desperate!

    • Vladimir Impalerov

      Yeah, desperate, Russia simply can’t compete with the mighty Ukrainian army. Strongest army in Europe if to believe Poroshenko.

  • John H Newcomb

    Anonymous accounts important but how can the information presented be verified or confirmed as accurate? Something like: https://www.bellingcat.com/

  • […] country, brazenly lying to the world. Russia is quietly transporting its wounded soldiers, checking them into hospitals after-hours and omitting their names from the general registries. The dead of Russia’s undeclared war against […]

  • Vladimir Impalerov

    Fake account created by Ruslan Leviev and the author off this article knows about it.

Join the conversation

Authors, please log in »

Guidelines

  • All comments are reviewed by a moderator. Do not submit your comment more than once or it may be identified as spam.
  • Please treat others with respect. Comments containing hate speech, obscenity, and personal attacks will not be approved.