A Russian military medical research institute under the Ministry of Defense conducts experiments with combat munitions and pharmacological substances on volunteer servicemen.
RBC-Ukraine reports this, citing Russian media.
Who conducts the experiments and how
The institute is the only facility under Russia’s Defense Ministry with official authorization to conduct research involving humans. Its director, Sergei Chepur, said the institute has run such tests since 2015.
He explained that some substances affect higher nervous activity, which makes animal testing insufficient. For this reason, researchers recruit “healthy volunteers” from among military personnel.
What exactly they test on soldiers
The research program covers several areas:
- new types of weapons, equipment, and gear;
- the destructive effects of munitions;
- drugs designed to increase endurance and functional performance;
- protective measures against extreme conditions and damaging factors.
In practice, the military uses servicemen to evaluate the effectiveness of both weapons and medical substances under combat-like conditions.
Testing shells at a training ground
At a 2023 conference in Saint Petersburg, Chepur described experiments with artillery munitions. Researchers conducted the tests at a training ground where they simulated fortifications similar to those used by Russia and NATO.
During explosions of 122 mm and 300 mm shells, specialists measured volunteers’ physiological indicators on site, including cardiovascular function. They also collected samples and assessed how the body responded depending on distance from the blast.
Health consequences for participants
Researchers recorded serious effects among participants, including sharp spikes in blood pressure, damage to the vascular and nervous systems, and suppression of sensory and cognitive functions.
The materials state that such studies help define parameters for weapon use to achieve a “guaranteed level of damage” to enemy personnel.
Context
Russia increasingly uses peace rhetoric as a foreign policy tool while simultaneously preparing for a prolonged war. In particular, it aims to seize the entire Donetsk region by the end of 2026.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Russian forces have begun considering the creation of a buffer zone in the Vinnytsia region from the side of the unrecognized Transnistria.
