2024-07-21 09:22:38
Murders and rapes: Russian soldiers returning home have problems integrating. A Putin aide warns of the extent of the problem.
Vladimir Putin is losing thousands of soldiers at the front in his war of aggression against Ukraine. Recently, 70,000 men are said to have been killed or wounded within two months. But it seems that the losses are not the only problem for the Kremlin ruler. Soldiers who return from service at the front are having problems reintegrating, reports the independent Russian news site “Meduza”. This is now also an issue in the Kremlin.
According to the report, many returnees have committed violent crimes and there are not enough psychiatrists to treat post-traumatic disorders. According to Meduza’s sources, Putin’s team is aware of the risks posed by the returnees and fears that Russian society is not ready to accept them.
The deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, is said to have said in a meeting with governors that former soldiers were having difficulty reintegrating. Many were criminals who had their sentences pardoned for serving in the war. Now back home, they have committed crimes again, including murder and rape.
“They have [bei dem Treffen] made it clear that we can expect much more from these people. This could lead to public discontent, fear, or, conversely, aggression towards all military personnel, who are perceived by people as a single group. An increase in crime. This is a problem,” said one of those present at the meeting, according to Meduza, referring to Kremlin officials.
Because the war is far away for many Russians, they know little about it, apart from television reports, speakers present are quoted as saying. This is a different situation than after the Second World War. But the soldiers have experienced extreme situations and seen what it looks like when laws are not enforced. “Society is not really prepared to understand and accept them,” said Kiriyenko, who was also once Russian prime minister.
According to sources at “Meduza”, this could lead to the formation of new groups of criminals who could pose a threat to society. Last year, Moscow women’s rights activist Alyona Popova pointed out in an interview that “every person returning from war is likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders”. If they have already committed brutal violence before, the threat to those around them is even greater. Many of these returnees are driven by a desire for revenge, which is directed against state officials and generally against those whom they blame for sending them to the prison camp.
Last year, the Kremlin reacted in its own way to reports of crimes committed by ex-soldiers. According to research by “Meduza,” the media was instructed to stop reporting on the matter. But it is evidently not just media reports that are causing unrest among the population. The sheer number of returning soldiers is making this clearly visible, especially in the regions where they were recruited. Sergei Kiriyenko’s visit to the governors could be a sign that the Kremlin has recognized the threat. It remains to be seen what consequences will be drawn from this.