4 high-ranking Russian military officers commit suicide in less than one year

Four high-ranking former Russian military officers have committed suicide in less than one year under similar circumstances.

Lt. Gen. Anatoly Kudryavtsev, 77, hanged himself Tuesday and left a note that said the “excruciating pain” of stomach cancer prompted his decision.

Gen. Kudryavtsev joins secret service agent Gen. Viktor Gudkov, Maj. Gen. Boris Saplin, and retired Rear Adm. Vyacheslav Apanasenko on the list of Russian officers who committed suicide in the past year, Newsweek reported Tuesday.

The magazine said that Gen. Gudkov shot himself in the throat after suffering from a “serious illness” that was not documented before his death.

Gen. Saplin left a suicide note that that blamed “immense headache” for his decision, and Rear Adm. Apanasenko — like Gen. Kudryavtsev — died after battling stomach cancer, Newsweek reported.