Russian military propagandist Andrei Morozov (Murz) sang of Russian military glories in the invasion of Ukraine, but his criticism of the poor state of the army and the high human cost of the Russian advance first cost him his popularity.. And finally, life. Murz committed suicide after angering the most radical propagandists. His sin: saying that Russia lost 16,000 soldiers in the assault on Avdivka.

The figure of the propagandist or “military correspondent” in Russia is fundamental in the day-to-day life of a front opaque by censorship, where at the same time the regime needs to access information outside of military reports and share it with the Russian public interested in how is the fight going. Despite the jingoistic tone of the military and propagandists, there are frequently tensions in the daily discussion because there are always voices that are more dissatisfied than others.. Murz was one of those very critical voices.

Shortly before he died, he commented that on February 20 from above he was forced to delete a recording from the channel. It was his most controversial piece. In which he commented on the capture by Russian troops of the city of Avdivka in the Donetsk region. Murz, citing an anonymous source, stated that during the attack on the Ukrainian town, the casualties of the Russian army amounted to 16,000 people.. And that also about 300 armored vehicles were destroyed.

Russian propagandists came out in force against Murz, saying that his words about irreparable losses at Avdeevka “are usually falsifications and slander against the Russian Defense Ministry.”

Morozov's Telegram channel wrote that the order to delete his publication was given under pressure from “political prostitutes led by Vladimir Solovyov”, one of the most influential presenters of Putinism, from whose program the destruction of Ukraine and future attacks on Europe.

In the last posts on his channel, Andrei Morozov posted a note in which he stated that he would “shoot himself”. He asked “not to be sad” about his death and to bury him in a cemetery of the self-proclaimed LPR.. He also posted his will and an appeal to the chief military prosecutor to investigate an artillery regiment, the 1487, in which according to him there is a serious shortage of weapons, losses, lack of rotation, rest and medical care for the troops.

Murz shot himself. In his surroundings, stupor and surprise: “We spoke with him at night, there were no indications,” reacted lawyer Maxim Pashkov.

The war chorus has mourned his death, although without much conviction. Russian propagandist Yulia Vityazeva, who led the hunt for Morozov on social media, reacted impassively: “Suicide is a sin, a weakness and a defeat.”. He did not show even the slightest guilt, concluding that what happened “is entirely on the conscience of those who knew the problems of their supposed friend and comrade, but did nothing to help him.”

Alexander Kofman, a senior official of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, also said goodbye without much affection: “Sleep well, Murz, you made a big mistake, but no one will answer for it except you”.