Story perspectives

NY Times Exposes Russian Military Abuse Through Complaint Error

1/3/2026

Summary

Story summary

The New York Times conducted an investigation that uncovered abuse and coercion patterns in the Russian military.
The revelations began when someone entered the wrong complaint number while checking a complaint with the Russian government's human rights ombudsman.
That error led to thousands of publicly accessible complaints, including sensitive information from Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
Maxim Kurnikov, a Berlin-based journalist, compiled these complaints after being alerted to the oversight.

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Story summary

The New York Times conducted an investigation that uncovered abuse and coercion patterns in the Russian military.
The revelations began when someone entered the wrong complaint number while checking a complaint with the Russian government's human rights ombudsman.
That error led to thousands of publicly accessible complaints, including sensitive information from Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
Maxim Kurnikov, a Berlin-based journalist, compiled these complaints after being alerted to the oversight.