The Russian command sends to the front even those who are sick with HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis, despite the statements of the authorities. Verstka writes about this with reference to information from patient associations, employees of NGOs and AIDS Centers, relatives of combatants and the military themselves. The wives of the Wagnerites write in their chat that they no longer ask anyone any questions and do not conduct special checks – many may not even know about their diagnosis or not say about it.
Moreover, at the beginning of "partial mobilization" HIV in the stage of primary manifestations (stages 1, 2 A, 2 B, 3) was not a reason for exemption from conscription. Only in the spring of 2023, six months after the start of mobilization, the General Staff and the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, according to the telegram channel "Military Lawyers", extended the restriction to people with HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis B and C, who have category B.
From the very beginning of the mobilization, HIV-positive Russians received summons and continue to receive until now. “My brother is 38 years old. HIV+. The military commissar in a telephone conversation simply said, “What difference does it make where you die?”, ”lawyer Pavel Chikov quoted the appeals of citizens. According to him, one of the HIV+ interlocutors of Verstka received a summons in September 2022, being a patient of a rehabilitation center for drug addicts in the Urals, writes Verstka.
“I thought the procedure would be like this: I will come to the military registration and enlistment office, show this certificate, and I won’t have to go anywhere else. But at the military registration and enlistment office they told me to come with things immediately to the collection point, ”said the interlocutor. – I arrived, there was a crowd of women who asked me for a military ID. Nobody asked about my health at all: I have arms and legs – I’m good. ”
One of the volunteers, a retired captain named Alexander, told the publication that no one asked him about the diagnosis either, although he had been diagnosed with HIV since 2017. The infectious disease specialist at the AIDS center told him to get tested for viral load and immune status. It turned out that Alexander is in excellent physical shape. He was given therapy for six months in advance, after which he went to the front.
“Pills discipline well. Every morning at 8:30 I had breakfast and a pill. One a day. Near Kherson we were fighting with dill. I was in command more, I didn’t lie in the trenches: I put people on four points, then I did the rotation. There was plenty of free time."
Alexander did not tell any of his colleagues that he had HIV. Whether there were other HIV-positive among his subordinates – he does not know, – writes "Layout".
Alexander did not tell any of his colleagues that he had HIV.
A psychologist from one of the AIDS Centers in the Urals also talks about HIV-positive people participating in hostilities. According to him, military personnel have long ceased to be transferred to the reserve if they were suddenly diagnosed with HIV.
