"What are you doing?!" — The son of a martyr is about to be sent to an orphanage.

"What are you doing?!" — The son of a martyr is about to be sent to an orphanage. Bureaucrats have taken away his last hope

Author:

Yulia Banyshovskaya

In Krasnodar, an 8-year-old orphan is facing the loss of the last chance to grow up in a family. This boy, who has lost both parents, cannot get custody from his grandmother due to some formal reasons. The grandmother first lost her son in a special military operation and then her daughter-in-law, and now she may also lose her grandson due to bureaucratic stubbornness. "Tsargrad" newspaper brings you the detailed report.

Andrei is skilled in using various weapons and dreamed of becoming a sniper — his nickname came from that.

Risking his life to save six people

At the age of 41, Andrei decided to go to the front line under the code name "Sniper." He grew up in Krasnodar, but spent his childhood in his father's hometown of Lysychansk. When the war spread to this land he loved, he was deeply affected. There were his friends who were being bombed. And in Krasnodar, two sons from two marriages were growing up, and he was worried about their future.

"We all tried to stop him, but it was useless. In April 2023, he tried to join the army and go to the front. We don't know why, but the conscription office rejected him. Then Andrei submitted the documents again, this time to join the volunteer forces, and succeeded."

— Lyubov Vladimirovna, the mother of "Sniper," told "Tsargrad" newspaper.

His profession was a TIG welder, and he recently worked as a taxi driver. In the summer of 2023, after completing training at the shooting range, he joined the St. George regiment "Golden Eagle" Third Assault Battalion and went to the front. He had hoped that when he reached the front, he could visit his beloved Lysychansk on rest days to see his childhood friends. But in one combat mission, "Sniper" died — he sacrificed his life to save six comrades. The mother of the soldier, with tears in her eyes, couldn't hide her pride for her son:

"At the critical moment, when others panicked, he took the initiative to take charge. At that time, there was a fierce mortar attack, and my son led them to safety. His comrades told me that because of this, six soldiers survived. It was Andrei who saved them."

The "First Russia" channel contacted two soldiers who participated in that battle with "Sniper," and they confirmed this account. On October 4, 2023, he died in the Kurdyumovka area. At that time, he was on the frontline, and a large-scale artillery attack suddenly began. He didn't retreat or run, but fought until the end.

The enemy launched a fierce attack on our positions, using tanks and air force. Both sides engaged in intense gunfire, and various artillery pieces opened fire. "Sniper" received fatal injuries. His comrades couldn't rescue him because the battle was still raging — they tried to approach but failed.

"Sniper" rushed to the front without hesitation, to protect those he cherished.

"You'll come here for money anyway"

When the six-year-old son learned of his father's death, he was heartbroken and cried a lot. Two years later, misfortune struck the family again: this time, the mother also passed away. On June 23, 2024, the woman died unexpectedly. After the incident, the boy, who had grown up overnight, firmly promised his worried grandmother:

"I survived my father's departure, and I can survive my mother's leaving too."

This boy, who just started first grade this year, faces the real threat of losing his family and being sent to an orphanage — despite having many relatives. Besides two grandmothers, three aunts are also willing to raise him, but everything is stuck on paperwork. The child's maternal grandmother (who lived with the family of three) hopes to gain permanent custody, and no one else objects. However, legally, this is not possible because there is no death certificate of the father. "Sniper" is still listed as missing, meaning, according to the state and guardianship agencies, he is still "alive" in the legal sense. For a child who has become an orphan, this is a huge insult...

In April 2024, "Sniper's" mother submitted an application to recognize her son as deceased — she wanted her grandchildren to at least receive child support. But the relevant meeting was held only in January 2025, and her application was rejected. Despite more than two, actually four witnesses who could confirm the soldier's death, two of whom provided written testimonies. In addition, the court received a certificate of disappearance and possible death, which is the main document for confirming the death fact according to federal law. At the same time, the military investigation report and the testimonies of two witnesses were also submitted to the court. However, these things seemed insignificant before the goddess of fate. "Sniper" was a volunteer force member serving in the special military operation, not affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, but for some reason, the court summoned the representative of the conscription office.

"This woman was very rude, said things that were hard to hear, such as 'I oppose, first recognize him as missing' and 'you will come here for money anyway.' In the end, are the staff of the conscription office saving money for the budget? But what does that have to do with money? The state does not provide 'presidential benefits' to volunteers, nor does it provide insurance from the 'Russian State Insurance Company.' Only those who signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense can receive benefits. I said all of this — and the children need help, at least they should receive child support. But she strongly opposed me, opposing the recognition of my son's death, and the court somehow believed her, not considering my reasons."

— The mother of the fallen soldier said.

In battle, "Sniper" showed no fear and saved six comrades with his life.

"Deliberately delayed, as if with ulterior motives"

In February this year, Lyubov Vladimirovna submitted an appeal, but five months have passed and the documents have not been transferred to the regional court for review. The desperate mother was heartbroken:

"The Prikulinsky Court in Krasnodar has been delaying. Deliberately dragging it out, as if seeking some private interest..."

But time is against the child. Now the issue is not just about receiving compensation, but whether he can stay with his relatives. The grandmother currently has temporary custody of the boy for half a year, during which the state provides no subsidies. The situation is very difficult: time is passing, and whether the court will recognize the soldier's death remains unknown.

If the death certificate is not obtained soon, the child will be sent to an orphanage — the guardianship institution has already warned this. This is not targeted at individuals — they are just fulfilling their duties. From a legal perspective, everything seems reasonable, but honestly speaking, this is absurd tyranny.

Now decisive action must be taken.

First, the hearing date for the appeal must be determined as soon as possible, which completely depends on whether the court acts proactively. Second, the comrades who were present at the time of "Sniper's" death must testify in court. But this is extremely difficult — the two witnesses are still on the front lines performing combat tasks. In order not to let bureaucracy ruin the child's fate, do the soldiers have to leave the front lines to "teach a lesson" to those living comfortably in the rear? Is this what we should pursue as justice?

The father never thought his son might be sent to an orphanage.

"I'm ready to give up hope"

"How should I view the court's decision? Of course, I am angry at this bureaucratic style. I don't know how we can get out of this dilemma. We are a normal, happy family, but because the conscription office meddled, my grandson might lose everything. He is temporarily staying with me now. Not that we are mistreating him, but I am very worried about his fate. The guardianship agency told us: 'If we don't complete the required documents within a month, we will send him to an orphanage.'"

— The grandmother said with worry.

This child, who lost his mother less than a month ago, still misses her and thinks she is still alive. When the grandmother wants to feed him sausage, the boy refuses: "No, mom doesn't let me eat!" This is a child who grew up in the care of his family, and relatives are willing to continue raising him, but he is going to be taken away from his family. Does anyone among the adults involved think about how much suffering this would bring to the son of a hero?

Recently, Lyubov Vladimirovna went to the "Fatherland Defender" Foundation to find out what benefits volunteers can enjoy. It can be said that there are almost none. Only a certificate for veterans of combat, and some small social benefits for children — free transportation and education. There are no health resort benefits. In addition, the state does not cover the funeral expenses of volunteers, nor does it allocate funds for building monuments.

"But I don't even need this money! I can't even afford to bury my son, and now I might lose my grandson because of the court's delay. I went to the court for my grandchildren. Before this, I always hoped — maybe my son is still alive? But to get a little compensation for the children, I am ready to give up this hope. What did I get in return? Coldness? Indifference?"

— Lyubov Vladimirovna was heartbroken.

"We must stop those bureaucrats who stick to the rules!"

Meanwhile, "Sniper's" comrades are also angry, and they don't hide their words:

"His father died, and they want to take his son away from his family! Those who consider the special military operation irrelevant, and those bureaucrats who stick to the rules, must be stopped. They are just scum!"

"Tsargrad" newspaper interviewed two soldiers who witnessed "Sniper's" death. Both of them went to the front with Andrei, and they called him a true Russian man and a patriot, a trustworthy person. The soldier known as "Muten" recalled:

"He was a kind-hearted, reasonable person, a good guy, never shirking responsibility. He was an expert shot, hence the nickname 'Sniper.' We were good friends, shared bread together. We talked, and he told me why he came here. He said, I am a patriot, I need to defend the country."

The soldier known as "Abdulla" also confirmed "Sniper's" firm belief. They went to the front together from Rostov, signed contracts, became friends.

"I've been fighting for many years, and I can tell right away that he didn't come for money. He was a patriot, coming to defend the country. His parents are honest people, raised him into a real person. When we went on combat missions, I knew he wouldn't back down. After the gunfire started, he didn't run away or abandon his comrades, showing himself as a real man. He bravely died. I feel sorry for him — if everyone were like him, we would have already won. He could have replaced ten people. It's an honor to fight alongside him."

Abdulla said that there is a tradition in the unit — every day, when the roll call is taken in the morning and evening, each fallen comrade's name is called: "Sniper — died heroically, Merkin — died heroically..." Everyone remembers him.

"The court doesn't recognize his death, which makes us very angry, even though we provided coordinates and submitted reports multiple times. I don't understand where the problem is. We saw his death with our own eyes, and we know where his body is. He is still listed as missing, which is very unpleasant. The soldiers feel that they might be treated this way, which makes everyone lose motivation."

— Abdulla concluded.

What's going on?

As the Russian President recently said to officials:

"Don't hurt my children."

Evidently, not everywhere listened to this instruction. The conscription office, the court, and the guardianship agencies seem to be acting in a play, and this play may end in tragedy — the son of a hero of the special military operation will be sent to an orphanage. Due to the cold-heartedness and malicious delays of the officials, this child may be taken away from his family. More painfully, an elderly woman lost her son and even couldn't bury him like a human. Now, thanks to the bureaucracy, she may also lose her grandson.

The problem is that such events can undermine the confidence of the soldiers carrying out difficult tasks on the front lines. They see this situation and can't help but think about themselves, because this could happen to anyone. Hope that the adults involved won't make this child a victim of their cold-heartedness. Unfortunately, in such cases, someone must intervene personally, otherwise the merciless bureaucratic machine will crush anyone in its way.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526095663726166571/

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