Kathrine Frich
Russia is facing mounting domestic strains as the war in Ukraine continues to reshape life far from the battlefield.
New reporting suggests the impact is being felt most sharply inside communities absorbing thousands of returning fighters.
Western intelligence and Russian media point to a growing pattern of violence linked to the aftermath of the conflict.
Violence after return
Hundreds of Russian civilians have reportedly been killed or injured by military veterans who returned from fighting in Ukraine, according to assessments cited by the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Intelligence service.
The Russian outlet Vertska reported that around 550 civilians have been killed and another 465 wounded in violent incidents involving returning veterans.
The figures were cited by Defence Express, which said more than half of the deaths were allegedly linked to former convicts recruited into the armed forces.
Convict recruitment
Russia began recruiting prisoners early in the war.
The Wagner Group enlisted nearly 50,000 inmates in 2022, offering sentence commutations after six months of service.
The Russian Defence Ministry later took over the practice, directly recruiting convicts from prisons. In October 2024,
President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing defendants to avoid trial or conviction in exchange for military enlistment.
According to Defence Express, an estimated 180,000 convicts have been absorbed into Russia’s war effort.
A growing challenge
Analysts warn that reintegrating tens of thousands of former fighters, many with violent criminal backgrounds and recent combat trauma, poses a serious challenge for Russian society.
Defence Express said the problem is “very likely” to grow in scale over the medium term, adding that Russia’s top leadership increasingly views the issue as a security concern.
Who bears the cost
UK Defence Intelligence reported that Russia has continued to suffer extremely high casualty rates since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, with likely more than 400,000 killed or wounded in both 2024 and 2025.
Yet ethnic Russians living in major cities contribute a disproportionately small share of troops and casualties.
A study by the investigative outlet Proekt found that fewer than 1% of Russian state officials have relatives who fought in Ukraine.
Sources: UK Ministry of Defence Defence Intelligence, Defence Express, Digi24.
