Russian Telegram channel author dies by suicide

In Russia, the author of the Telegram channel “Voevoda Broadcasts,” identified as a Ka-52 attack helicopter pilot and Guards Senior Lieutenant Alexey Zemtsov (call sign Voevoda), has taken his own life, according to military analyst Boris Rozhin.

There have been no official statements confirming Zemtsov’s death.

According to reports, in his channel, the officer described a conflict in service and also mentioned alleged infidelity by his wife. Zemtsov wrote that if his account of events was published, it meant he had carried out his plan.

The blogger took part in combat operations in Ukraine as a pilot and was involved in repelling Ukrainian offensives. He also stated that during every leave, he served with assault units on the ground.

The “Voevoda Broadcasts” channel has more than 160,000 subscribers. Zemtsov is survived by his parents and a daughter.

In earlier posts, Voevoda claimed that after learning of his wife’s alleged infidelity, he took her lover into a forest and beat him, after which he was placed in a pre-trial detention centre on charges of threatening to kill, property damage, and extortion in a large amount. He was reportedly defended by several well-known military correspondents and figures, including Lieutenant General Apti Alaudinov and Aida, commander of the “Akhmat” special forces unit. He later decided to join assault units.

Zemtsov also spoke about dissatisfaction from military command regarding some of his publications, saying he was offered discharge on health grounds but continued service. Following one recent post, he was suspected of discrediting the Russian army and was allegedly at risk of being returned to a detention facility.

“Thank you. Live honestly. Only in this way will we win,” read his final message on the channel.

By Jeyhun Aghazada