A Simple Mistake Revealed Russia's Hidden Troubles

A small error led to a big discovery. Someone in Russia tried to check their complaint status online. They typed the wrong number. Instead of an error, they saw someone else's complaint. This was not just any complaint. It was part of a huge collection of sensitive documents. These documents were on the website of Russia's human rights ombudsman. They included medical records, passport details, and contact information. The complaints also talked about abuse and coercion in the Russian military. This is information that Russia usually keeps secret.A journalist named Maxim Kurnikov found out about this. He used to live in Russia but now works in Berlin. He and his team collected over 9, 000 complaints. These complaints were available from April to September 2025. After that, the website fixed the problem. No one knows how many people saw these documents before they were taken down. The complaints started appearing after the ombudsman updated their IT systems. This suggests that the update might have caused the problem. It's a reminder that even small mistakes can have big consequences. It also shows how important it is to protect sensitive information. This incident raises questions about privacy and security. It also gives a glimpse into the issues faced by Russian soldiers. The documents show that there are problems within the military. This is information that the Russian government would not want to be public.