Domestic Violence Concerns Emerge as Russian Soldiers Return from Conflict

In Artyom, located in Russia’s far east, Irina was assaulted by a man who declared, “I’m a veteran of the special military operation, I’m going to kill you!” The incident occurred as she was returning home after an evening out, during which the man kicked her and struck her with his crutch. The impact of the blow was severe enough to break the crutch. Upon the arrival of law enforcement, the assailant presented documentation verifying his participation in Ukraine and asserted that his military service would ensure “nothing will happen to him.” Irina’s assault represents one instance among numerous reported crimes allegedly perpetrated by soldiers returning from Ukraine. According to estimates from Verstka, an independent Russian online publication, a minimum of 242 Russian citizens have been fatally attacked by soldiers who have come back from Ukraine. Additionally, 227 individuals have sustained serious injuries. Similar to Irina’s attacker, a significant number of these assailants possess prior criminal convictions and were released from incarceration specifically to participate in Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. The BBC estimates that the Wagner mercenary group enlisted over 48,000 prisoners for combat in Ukraine. Following the death of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash last year, Russia’s defence ministry assumed responsibility for prison recruitment. Sociologist Igor Eidman states that these incidents have profoundly affected Russian society. He informed the BBC, “This is a very serious problem, and it can potentially get worse. All the traditional ideas of good and evil are being turned upside down.” Eidman further elaborated, “People who have committed heinous crimes – murderers, rapists, cannibals and paedophiles – they not only avoid punishment by going to war, the unprecedented bit is that they are being hailed as heroes.” Several factors contribute to the belief among Russian soldiers fortunate enough to return from the conflict that they are exempt from legal accountability. State media outlets refer to them as “heroes,” and President Vladimir Putin has designated them Russia’s new “elite.” Individuals recruited into the armed forces from correctional facilities either had their convictions expunged or received pardons. It is not uncommon for former convicts, once released, to return from the war in Ukraine, commit new offenses, and subsequently evade punishment a second time by rejoining the front lines. This situation causes frustration among some police officers. Policeman Grigory shared with the Novaya Gazeta website, “Four years ago, I put him away for seven years.” He added, “And here he is in front of me again, saying: ‘You won’t be able to do anything, officer. Now’s our time, the time of those who are shedding blood in the special military operation.'” Russian judicial bodies have consistently cited involvement in the conflict against Ukraine as grounds for imposing less severe penalties. However, a significant number of incidents never proceed to court. Moscow has enacted a new law prohibiting “discrediting the Russian armed forces,” which has led some victims of crimes committed by veterans to fear reporting these offenses. Olga Romanova, who leads the prisoner rights non-governmental organization Russia Behind Bars, asserts that a pervasive feeling of impunity is contributing to an increase in crime rates. She informed the BBC, “The main consequence is the gap between crime and punishment in the public mind. If you commit a crime, it is far from certain that you are going to be punished.” During 2023, the recorded incidence of serious crimes in Russia increased by nearly 10%, and in the initial six months of the current year, the count of military personnel convicted of offenses more than doubled when contrasted with the corresponding period of the previous year. Sociologist Anna Kuleshova contends that violence is gaining greater acceptance within Russian society, particularly due to the opportunity for offenders to evade penalties by engaging in warfare. She stated, “There is a tendency to legalise violence. The idea that violence is a kind of norm will probably spread – violence at school, domestic violence, violence in relationships and as a way to resolve conflicts.” Kuleshova further added, “This is facilitated by the militarisation of society, the turn to conservatism and the romanticisation of war. Violent crimes committed within the country are being atoned by the violence of war.” Igor Eidman, Olga Romanova, and Anna Kuleshova each provided their comments to the BBC from locations outside of Russia.