Vladimir Arsenjev

Vladimir Arsenjev is a 75-year-old scientist who led a Moscow-based company producing components for communication devices used by tank crews. Following the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, his company was inundated with military contracts, but the pressure to meet stringent deadlines and pricing set by the Russian Ministry of Defense proved overwhelming. By mid-2023, his factory was behind schedule, and internal conflicts escalated as the company faced bankruptcy. In a tragic act of desperation on July 26, 2024, Arsenjev set himself on fire near Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow, after weeks of struggling with severe injuries in a hospital. His situation reflects the broader challenges and criminal repercussions faced by defense industry leaders in Russia amid the ongoing war.