Nearly four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, returning Russian veterans are fueling a wave of domestic violence and criminal incidents across the country.
An investigation by independent media outlet Vyorstka, analyzing hundreds of court rulings, found that Russian servicemen returning from the front have killed at least 551 people and seriously injured 465 others inside Russia. Most victims were relatives or acquaintances, and around half of the incidents involved alcohol or drug use.
Key findings include:
- 274 deaths classified as intentional murders; 163 from severe bodily harm; 78 from traffic accidents caused by veterans; and 36 from other criminal incidents, including drug-related cases.
- Over half of the perpetrators were former prisoners recruited from Russian penal institutions, often in exchange for sentence reductions. These ex-convicts were responsible for at least 163 deaths and 252 serious injuries.
- Courts displayed considerable leniency, citing participation in the “special military operation” as a mitigating factor in about 90% of cases. Judges frequently reduced sentences based on medals, veteran status, wartime injuries, or “military merits.”
Investigators warn that the actual scale of the problem may be much larger, as garrison military courts have largely stopped publishing rulings, and identifying details are often redacted or erased.
With hundreds of thousands of veterans still expected to return, Russia faces a mounting social crisis, as many returnees lack psychological and social support to cope with wartime trauma.
This investigation highlights the long-term societal impact of the Ukraine war on Russian communities, where state-promoted “heroes” are increasingly becoming a domestic threat.
