Russian veterans of the war against Ukraine often become dangerous criminals after returning from the front. Former soldiers have combat experience, and often unregistered captured weapons. The authorities have no solution yet.
Russians returning from the war in Ukraine are increasingly finding themselves involved in criminal cases. Few manage to find a place in civilian life, and work outside the military sector brings much lower income than under an army contract. Some become criminals - considering that among those mobilized there are also people who have already been convicted. But these veterans are not afraid of the possibility of imprisonment: if there is a criminal prosecution against them, they can always sign a new contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and return to the front.
Participants in the war are suspected of murders
One of the most high-profile cases involving veterans of the Russian army was the murder of cryptocurrency trader Roman Novak and his wife in 2025. They were lured to a villa in the UAE under the pretext of meeting with investors, where they were tortured with a demand to reveal their passwords for accessing crypto wallets. In the end, the criminals killed the spouses and buried their bodies in the desert. The investigation is underway against three defendants, two of whom are former participants in the war against Ukraine.
Another case is from Thailand in January this year. Russian cryptocurrency trader Mikhail Emelyanov was invited to a meeting, but then disappeared without a trace, and messages were found on his phone demanding payment of over $120,000. In the end, police found Emelyanov's dismembered body in five places around the city of Pattaya. Two Russian citizens who participated in the war against Ukraine are accused of the crime. The cameras captured the suspects on a motorcycle, which they probably used to transport the businessman's remains.
Veterans have combat habits and strive to self-organize
In connection with the danger posed by Russians who returned from the war, Z-ideology researcher and author of the channel “On the Zzzzzzapadniya front nizhny nov“ in Telegram, Ivan Filipov notes that these veterans can pose a threat to society because of their habits of self-organization and because of their combat experience. "It's not just about the emergence of new types of criminal groups and gangs. They can not only handle firearms, but also use drones," Filipov explains. He also doubts that many veterans will be able to maintain their previous income level of about 200,000 rubles a month (over 2,000 euros) in civilian life. According to him, veterans can make deadly devices from improvised materials and have unregistered captured weapons.
Filipov says that during the four years of war in the Russian army, conflicts have also arisen between veterans. He gives an example of the practice of giving bribes: in order to avoid dangerous tasks with a high mortality rate, soldiers pay millions of rubles to commanders. Many of them then "seek justice": those who paid to survive seek retribution from those who enriched themselves from their fears. This is how a kind of "fighting brotherhood" is formed, such as the far-right nationalist organization "Russian Community", which - according to Filipov - is linked to the Federal Security Service (FSB). "They suck in veterans and call them to themselves," explains the researcher, noting that in the future this could become a real fighting wing of former participants in the war in Ukraine.
The authorities will suppress the veterans' attempt to "organize politically"
167,000 Russians have already returned to their homeland from the war in Ukraine, the head of the presidential administration for public projects, Sergei Novikov, announced at the end of last year. About 800,000 people are at the front. According to Filipov, the demobilization will most likely take place in several waves. "The simultaneous return of everyone would mean a colossal blow to the country. Most likely, some of the servicemen will be left on the front line, and another part "voluntarily or rather forcibly" will be distributed in structures like the “Africa Corps“ of the private military company “Wagner“, he suggests.
Political scientist Andrei Kolesnikov notes that the Russian authorities are trying to prevent veterans' organizations from becoming a political force. "The state will suppress veterans' attempts to organize politically." But the political scientist also says that so far the authorities have not figured out what to do with the veterans, especially those with serious mental problems. President Putin has suggested sending them to work in the correctional camp system, but this would create a "spicy situation," Kolesnikov points out - if the former prisoners become guards.
Conflict in Russian society against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine
Experts identify another sore point as the internal contradictions in Russian society, which are exacerbated by economic inequality. Sociologist Kirill Rogov emphasizes that the war in Ukraine differs fundamentally from the wars in Afghanistan or Chechnya in that it is dominated by the mercenary model.
“People went to fight for big money and society is well aware of this motivation“, the sociologist notes. For many in provincial cities, the contract represents “leaping several steps in the social hierarchy“: a one-time payment of over 1.5 million rubles (16,000 euros) plus a monthly salary of over 200,000 rubles. However, those who have given up this “business” do not feel obligated to those who have become rich from the war. Thus, a new social segregation is formed: of “their” and "rebels".
Privileges and quotas
According to Kolesnikov, this conflict is unlikely to be directed against the authorities: "Veterans are unlikely to turn against the authorities, but rather against people who were not at the front and who did not support the war or imitated support". Filipov adds that there may also be conflicts between the two, since a system of privileges and quotas is being formed around those who participated in the war: universities, for example, are obliged to prioritize accepting their children on budget support, and employers are prohibited from firing employees who participated in the war.
The researcher believes that potential employers will try not to hire veterans so as not to create unnecessary headaches. One of the former participants in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, who previously told DW that the state provides him with everything, recently complained that due to a lack of funds he is forced to look for additional income. He currently works as a car mechanic.