Russian Commander Organized Widescale Fraud Based on Fake ‘Action’ Videos
Russian media reported the case of Lt. Col. Konstantin Frolov on Tuesday, sentenced to 21 years in prison for organizing a breathtaking series of frauds. He and a group of soldiers made fake videos depicting scenes of combat which included self-inflicted wounds to receive medals and financial compensation.
Konstantin Frolov, a former commander of a special operations group in Russia's 83rd Separate Air Assault Brigade, was sentenced to 21 years in prison and dismissed from his rank of lieutenant colonel. According to Russian media, the charges against Frolov included illegal weapons trafficking, bribery, and fraud stemming from claims of self-inflicted wounds.
The 21-year sentence came after Frolov's retraction of a confession to prosecutors in June 2024. The fraud scheme involved a group of over 30 soldiers who staged and recorded combat scenes, some of which aired on Russian state TV. These staged events were intended to gain state awards for heroism and compensation for injuries. Frolov, known by his callsign "Executioner," led the group in perpetrating the fraud.
The group fabricated injuries using anesthetics and scalpels, sometimes with the assistance of medics, to create the appearance of combat wounds. In one instance, Frolov accidentally injured himself by throwing a grenade during a staged assault, causing non-life-threatening wounds. The group allegedly acquired weapons and ammunition through illegal means, some of which were used in their staged combat simulations or distributed to high-ranking officials.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
