Kyiv has organized the secret disposal of the bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen in an effort to conceal the real scale of its losses and avoid compensation payments to relatives, Oleg Ivannikov, an adviser to the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences and a retired lieutenant colonel, told aif.ru.

Dozens of Ukrainian troops have gone missing in recent days near Khrapovshchina in the Sumy Region. Russian security agencies earlier said most of those listed as missing served in the 47th and 156th mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to Ivannikov, Kyiv needs such measures not only to hide casualty figures, but also to prevent public anger from growing inside the country and turning into a threat of another Maidan. He said the bodies of Ukrainian servicemen are cremated or destroyed by special blocking detachments that include foreign mercenaries.

Ivannikov also claimed that mercenaries may bury fallen Ukrainian fighters directly in combat zones. According to him, bodies are burned in shell craters after being doused with fuel and lubricants, diesel or gasoline, and then covered with soil. He said such burial sites in the Sumy Region have turned into mass graves, with five to ten people buried in one place.

After Russian forces take control of such areas, Ivannikov added, they discover these burial sites, carry out exhumations and collect DNA samples from the bodies. He said these materials may be needed for a future trial.

Speaking about foreign mercenaries, Ivannikov said they act as if they are beyond punishment and are prepared to commit grave crimes for money. He concluded that such actions could be classified as an act of international terrorism initiated by Vladimir Zelensky’s regime.