Russian soldiers returning from the war in Ukraine have killed or injured over 1,000 people, investigation finds

Over nearly four years of war in Ukraine, Russian veterans of the so-called “special military operation” returning from the front have killed or injured more than 1,000 people, according to a joint investigation by the independent Russian outlet Verstka and the German publication Die Welt. The cases involve servicemembers who reentered civilian life while on leave, after being wounded, at the end of their contracts, or after leaving the military. Verstka reviewed hundreds of court rulings and interviewed victims over the course of the investigation. Its findings include:

• At least 551 people have died at the hands of returning veterans — 274 were murdered, 163 died after sustaining severe bodily injuries, and the rest died as the result of other crimes or traffic accidents involving veterans.
• More than half of the deaths were caused by former convicts. Of the 281 previously convicted servicemembers who caused fatal harm after returning from the front, at least 142 had been imprisoned for similar crimes.
• Another 465 people were seriously injured by returning participants in the “special military operation.” Of these, more than half — 252 — were harmed by former convicts.
• Most cases stemmed from domestic disputes, half of which involved alcohol or drugs. Family members and acquaintances of the servicemembers were most often the victims.
• More than 700 published court rulings were analyzed by Verstka, and in 90% of cases, judges treated participation in the “special military operation” as a mitigating factor when evaluating the actions of veterans who caused grave bodily harm to others after returning to civilian life.

The problem is likely to get worse. Russia’s war in Ukraine is well into its fourth year, and the Kremlin has taken sweeping steps to bolster the ranks of its military. In 2022, Moscow carried out a “partial” mobilization of about 300,000 men, while human rights groups and independent media reported that authorities were also recruiting inmates from prisons across the country. The effort was first led by the Wagner mercenary group before Russia’s Defense Ministry began recruiting from prisons directly.

In March 2024, Russia’s parliament approved a law allowing convicted criminals to be cleared of criminal liability if they enlist and sign a contract with the Defense Ministry.

Months later, Vladimir Putin signed a law simplifying the procedure for recruiting convicts and defendants in criminal cases into the armed forces. The move allowed military service contracts in Russia to be signed at the investigation stage, with the authorities reportedly harboring plans to bring up to 40% of Russian prisoners under arms, according to reporting by the independent outlet Important Stories.

Rights advocates and UN officials have warned that the Russian policy has helped send large numbers of convicted violent offenders to the front and that some who return have gone on to commit new violent crimes, as confirmed by Verstka’s investigation.

Mariana Katzarova, a UN-appointed Special Rapporteur on human rights in Russia, estimated in 2024 that close to 170,000 convicted violent criminals have been recruited to fight in Ukraine. “Many of them who return — and this is an emerging trend — have been perpetrating new violent crimes…against women, against girls, against children, including sexual violence and killings,” she told the UN Human Rights Council last September.