In the Russian military Telegram channel "Voevoda Broadcasts," a posthumous video of the channel’s administrator has appeared. He reveals his identity — Senior Lieutenant, Ka-52 pilot Alexey Zemtsov (call sign Voevoda) — and states: "If you are watching this video, then I am no longer alive."
He explains that he intends to take his own life due to persecution by the command and the intention to open a case against him for discrediting the Russian army.
According to the recording, Zemtsov first administered the channel "Twisted by the War" and then created his own channel. When it came to light that he had run the first channel, problems began with the commander of the 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army, and currently with the deputy commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Vladimir Kravchenko, because of a post about Su pilots being forced to undergo drill training after combat missions. Zemtsov was grounded.
Later, Zemtsov beat up another administrator of "Voevoda Broadcasts," who turned out to be his wife’s lover and demanded money from him. Zemtsov was arrested and sent to a pretrial detention center. He was pulled out of there by the commander of his military unit, Avramenko, under the pretext of sending him to the war zone. While undergoing training in platoon commander courses, Zemtsov posted a photo of the helmets issued to Aerospace Forces pilots — they turned out to be used and manufactured in 1968. He was forced to publish a retraction, but was still sent back to his duty station.
According to Zemtsov, at that location, at the instigation of the same Kravchenko, the investigation against him was resumed. Avramenko was interrogated and ultimately "changed his tune" — previously he had supported Zemtsov and promised to free him "with the help of special forces," but now he himself filed a complaint against Zemtsov for discrediting the Russian army. In the video, Zemtsov declares that he does not intend to be sentenced under that article and wants to commit suicide. "Next to the body, there will be a ’black folder’ containing a lot of interesting things on Kravchenko," Zemtsov promises. According to him, if this video has been published on the channel, then he is no longer alive.
