Danil Pankin was a reconnaissance officer in a Russian army motorized rifle battalion sent into President Vladimir Putin’s disastrous invasion. He didn’t even reach his 20th birthday before a Ukrainian tank ended his life. He was posthumously awarded the Russian Order of Courage. “He proposed to his girlfriend before he left for Ukraine,” Galena said. “Our family would get even bigger.” “But he never made it home.”
Read more: World in Ukraine: Russian soldier says he was ordered to shoot civilians
Story continues below ad Neither are thousands of other Russian soldiers, although Moscow has been tight-lipped about its war casualties since the invasion of Ukraine that began on February 24. Figures range from Russia’s acknowledged loss of just over 1,000 to Ukraine’s equally unverifiable tally of 35,000. In April, the UK estimated 15,000 dead. The bodies they left behind are collected by J9, a group of Ukrainian military and civilian volunteers. They are identified for return to Russia. Documents found by J9 members and obtained by Global News identify some of them, including Pyotr Yegorchev, 25, who was born in the Orenburg region. A member of the J9, in Vilkhivka, Ukraine, May 19, 2022. Stewart Bell/Global News A Russian social media profile matching details in documents found on his body shows he attended the Baltic Technical University. Story continues below ad He studied weapons and weapons systems. The photos show him posing with friends and hugging a young woman. His remains were discovered in the Kharkiv region. A Global News analysis of the nearly 3,600 fallen soldiers who have been publicly identified shows that most come from Russia’s poorest and most ethnically diverse regions. This includes central Siberia and the northern Caucasus. By comparison, only a small number come from more affluent cities. Nearly 200 were from Dagestan, the corrupt Muslim-majority republic that is among Russia’s poorest regions.
Read more: Who killed Rita Horbick? A war crime in Ukraine, frustration and a botched investigation
Other poor republics suffered nearly as many casualties: 159 from Buryatia and 129 from Chechnya. Only 29 came from Moscow and 15 from St. Petersburg. In economically stagnant regions of Russia, a temporary military contract offers stable employment, housing and wages well above the national average. Russian disinformation also makes the military look attractive. The Pankins said they got most of their news from state-controlled television and called the military a prestigious job. “He did not die in vain,” Galena said, accusing NATO and the United States of provoking Russia. “He died fighting for peace.” Story continues below ad He stayed in the orphanage Danil was five years old when his birth parents abandoned him in an orphanage in 2008 and he became part of the Pankin family. Galina Pankina, right. Global News Galena was a midwife, Alexey a metal worker in a factory. In total they had 13 children, nine of them foster children. Danil “was very thin and weak,” she recalls. He couldn’t sit still and was always on the move — cycling, tennis or breakdancing. He wrote poetry and was a bit of a comedian. “Even when he did something bad and you wanted to punish him, he would just joke around and suck. You forgot why you were angry with him,” said Alexey. All the men of the Pankin family served in the army like Alexei, who suggested that Danil think about it, that it would be interesting and he could get an apartment. Story continues below ad “He wasn’t sure at first. But then he called us and said he signed,” he said. Trending Stories
Trophy hunter shot dead by roadside in South Africa Traveler used AirTag to track lost luggage for 5 days after flight from Toronto
Danil Pankin joined the Russian army last year. Family Brochure
They supported his decision, but were against his choice to become a sniper, arguing that he would not be able to live with himself. Instead he went to a reconnaissance unit. He was stationed in the eastern city of Khabarovsk until Putin sent his army to occupy Ukraine, sparking Europe’s worst conflict and refugee crisis since World War Two. Stationed near Kyiv, Danil called home and his mother asked how he was coping with the war. “He always said, ‘Mom, I try to add humor to everything,’” Galena said. “In general, he was a very humorous person.” Danil Pankin. Family Brochure Russian forces committed dozens of atrocities around the Ukrainian capital, executing civilians in towns such as Bukha. Eventually, however, Ukrainian troops forced them to withdraw and curtail their goals. Story continues below ad On March 31, Danil left Ukraine and returned to Belarus. He told his mother that he was thinking of quitting the army. But less than two weeks later, as Russian forces redeployed in eastern Ukraine, he announced he would rejoin the invasion. “I asked him why he was coming back and he said half his boys are there. That’s it,” said Alexey. “He could have left, but he said I can’t, my mates are there,” his mother said.
Read more: Canadian fighting in Ukraine calls for more equipment
On April 11, he made a video call to his parents while crossing the border in an armored personnel carrier (BTR). Tens of days later, he was dead. His unit was located in the Kharkiv region. They retreated to a village called Zavodi. Danil stayed to cover them but a tank fired at his position and he was hit in the head. “They managed to get away, and he didn’t,” his father said. A street named after him When she got the call from the military announcing his death, Galena said thank you and hung up. Story continues below ad “And it was only when I started telling my husband everything again that I realized what happened. I didn’t get it at first.” Galina Pankina and Alexey Pankin at home in Baklashi, Russia. Global News Later, military personnel came in person and asked her if it could be a mistake. “I mean anything could happen,” he said. But it wasn’t. The memorial ceremony was held in a park in Baklashi. Danil was buried with other war veterans. “A lot of people came. His whole class from college, all his teachers,” his father said. His girlfriend was from Rostov. She wanted to see him but the morgue wouldn’t let her. His wounds were very severe. Three army buddies showed up. They cried at his grave and came home and stayed so long that they almost missed their flight back to Khabarovsk. Story continues below ad “They said he hated his machine gun, because it was so huge and sometimes, he would just throw it, start cursing, but then he would cool off, come back and get it,” his mother said. Later, the village administration called and said that a street would be named after Danil. The announcement was posted on a local online forum. “And one man commented: ‘Why talk to someone so young – he hasn’t done anything yet.’ It was the first time I was so angry and felt so hurt for our boys,” said Alexey. “And I wrote to him – “you live under a quiet sky because of our boys. Are you okay with that?’ And after that people started commenting and later he apologized.” “Many people, unfortunately, do not understand the reasons for this special operation,” he argued. “Why does it happen and how did it start? And because they don’t understand, many are angry.” Danil Pankin in military uniform. Family Brochure Their son’s death did not change their view of the war – a view that fits the misinformation and lies Russia is using to justify its invasion. Story continues below ad “Who would stop these people if not our boys? And I wouldn’t call them people – these freaks – who would stop them? Only U.S. The things they do, the atrocities they commit in the modern world in modern warfare. They are animals and such animals must be destroyed or they will spread everywhere.” Visitors stop at Danil’s grave and leave offerings. A child’s drawing of a tank, candies, alcohol. Since his death, Galina has noticed more birds around. “You know when they buried him, there were pictures and on them there were always cranes somewhere in the sky,” Galina said. “And later at home, I started seeing cranes a lot. My husband and I started seeing a lot of birds in general. More than usual. Birds that would fly but never leave.” “Just a few days ago we saw two seagulls. And the day we dropped off Irina at the airport, we saw many cranes in the sky.” [email protected] © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
