Young Russian soldier's dreams shattered by war's grim reality
Anatoly Gorbachev signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence just a day after turning 18. He had ambitious plans and wanted to earn millions and move to Petersburg. However, he quickly faced the harsh realities of war, which proved to be overwhelming for him. He was killed after less than a month of service.
Anatoly Gorbachev, from Ryazan, located about 125 miles from Moscow, documented his experiences on Telegram from when he arrived in the Russian capital. According to the "Belsat" station, the young man, who turned 18 the day before this event, signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence. He was in great spirits.
The recordings show how he joked during drug tests, bragged about free food, and made his first acquaintances. A few hours later, his initial enthusiasm began to wane, and frustration appeared. He began to feel “hate” towards his future colleagues, noticing that they only drank alcohol.
On August 27th, Anatoly found his name on the list of soldiers being sent to the front, which initially made him happy. However, over time, as the full reality of the situation began to set in, he became aware that there was no escaping the fate that awaited him.
According to "Belsat", in the recordings, Anatoly repeatedly expressed his hatred towards Ukrainians, calling them derogatory names.
The Russian wanted to earn millions. “A person will die faster”
Anatoly planned to move to Petersburg after returning from the war. "I'll get seven million in a year, and that's it,” he assured. Unfortunately, he did not fulfil these plans. A week before his death, as a soldier operating anti-tank grenade launchers, he went to the war zone in a military truck.
According to the "Belsat" station, the first complaints about delays in the promised contract money emerged. “They promised to transfer the first 400,000 rubles (about 5,700 CAD) within 14 days, but so far nothing. A person will die faster than see the money,” he complained.
On September 12th, he recorded a video announcing that out of 120 people in his unit, only 12 survived. According to "Belsat," the 18-year-old died two days later, on September 14th.
His girlfriend reported that Anatoly stepped on a mine and suffered severe injuries, which led to his death. The information about his death was released a week later. He was buried in Ryazan on September 27th.
