A possible ceasefire could harbour great social dangers for Russian society. What will the hundreds of thousands of poorly educated but well-paid veterans do when they get home? Many are mentally or physically wounded, or both. According to Svetlana Satchkova, prospects are grim. 'If the fate of those who have already returned home is any indication, Russia may be facing a surge in crime, alcoholism, and general chaos'.
A Russian veteran salutes next to a monument to Soviet soldiers at the annual Veterans Day in Moscow. July 1, 2024. Photo: Alexander Nemenov / ANP / AFP
It is estimated that 700,000 Russian troops are currently deployed in Ukraine. With ceasefire talks underway, many are wondering what will happen to this enormous army once the war ends. If the fate of those who have already returned home is any indication, Russia may be facing a surge in crime, alcoholism, and general chaos, lacking the structures that might help reintegrate these men into civilian life. Returning traumatized, disillusioned, and conditioned to violence, they are left with limited prospects, often turning to dangerous or destructive paths.
Russia’s ‘true elite’
In his address to the Federal Assembly on February 29, 2024, President Putin called veterans of the war in Ukraine Russia’s ‘true elite’, insisting they take on leading roles in politics, education, and business. He contrasted them with 'those who, without any merit to society, consider themselves a caste with special rights and privileges – especially those who, in previous years, filled their pockets through various processes in the economy of the 1990s.' Immediately afterward, Putin initiated the creation of a federal personnel program to prepare veterans of the 'Special Military Operation' for leadership positions across various sectors. However, it is difficult to imagine that this program will have a broad scope. Most war participants were drafted from the poorest and least educated segments of society, with many recruited directly from prison while serving time for violent crimes.
According to the independent Telegram media outlet Faridaily, an anonymous expert working in veterans’ rehabilitation reports that many soldiers who have returned with injuries, concussions, or lost limbs struggle to reintegrate into civilian life – especially in rural areas – and often turn to heavy drinking. Like them, many others will resort to alcohol and/or drugs to cope with physical and emotional trauma, which will inevitably lead to violence.
Over 750 people have fallen victim to violence committed by veterans since the invasion began
Veterans have already been involved in a staggering number of crimes – even Russian state media have reported on them. They are increasingly committing horrific acts, including beating their children and killing their partners, friends, and strangers. According to Verstka, over 750 people have fallen victim to violence committed by veterans since the invasion began, with at least 378 killed and another 376 suffering life-threatening injuries. Former convicts, in particular, continue to commit murders at higher rates than other ex-soldiers. Yet, when veterans stand trial, they often receive lighter sentences, with their 'service to the Motherland' taken into account. In many cases, they are given the option to return to the front lines instead of serving their prison time.
Another factor likely to drive up crime is the huge sums the Russian state is offering to entice more men to join the war. Compensation varies by region, but as of July 31, 2024, the federal signing bonus was doubled to 400,000 rubles ($4,651). In Moscow, contract soldiers receive an initial payment of 1.9 million rubles ($21,777) and a minimum annual salary of 5.2 million rubles ($60,000) in their first year of service. Some regions offer signing bonuses as high as 3 million rubles ($30,000). Monthly wages depend on rank and combat participation, with privates earning at least 204,000 rubles ($2,372). These increased payments are intended to boost recruitment without resorting to unpopular mobilization efforts. However, the minimum annual salary for Russian contract soldiers now far exceeds the country’s average wage.
Given that military personnel have been accustomed to earning millions of rubles, they will be reluctant to take low-paying jobs once the war ends, and many will be left without money. This significant decline in their standard of living is expected to drive many toward crime.
Veterans cannot be fired
The authorities clearly recognize the challenges that may arise once the war ends and have begun taking steps to address them. On December 17, 2024, the State Duma passed a law requiring employers to reserve jobs for the war participants throughout their service. Veterans cannot be fired, yet many acknowledge they may struggle as employees due to alcoholism and antisocial behavior. A source in the Ministry of Labor told Faridaily, 'The best solution is to pay them salaries just so they don’t show up to work.'
Military personnel, accustomed to earning millions of rubles, will be reluctant to take low-paying jobs once the war ends
President Putin has ordered amendments to existing legislation by March 30 to grant all participants of the 'Special Military Operation' official combat veteran status. This directive is outlined in a list of instructions published on the Kremlin’s website. Additionally, the draft federal budget for the next three years allocates over two billion rubles to support the families of those involved in the offensive. These funds will be directed toward financial and medical assistance, social benefits, and psychotherapeutic services. Multiple laws have already been passed to provide such support to soldiers and their families. A separate entrepreneurship program will also be established to help veterans start their own businesses.
New foundation run by Putin's niece
That Putin is well aware of the scale of the challenges ahead is evident in his decision to place his niece, Anna Tsivilyeva, in charge of assisting former soldiers. Tsivileva was first appointed head of the Defenders of the Fatherland foundation, established in April 2023, and a year later, she became Deputy Minister of Defense and State Secretary of the ministry.
Initially, the foundation was tasked with offering comprehensive support to veterans, including psychological and legal assistance, employment aid, patriotic education, holiday gifts for their children, and advocacy for government benefits. In its second year, its role expanded to include direct material assistance, such as providing prosthetics, wheelchairs, crutches, and specially equipped vehicles for disabled veterans. Almost entirely state-funded, the foundation received 28.2 billion rubles in subsidies from the government between 2023 and 2024, allocated by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
President Putin, Moscow Mayor Sobyanin and Deputy Defence Minister Tsivilyova visit the 'Unified Support Centre for participants in the military campaign in Ukraine and their families', run by the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. March 6, 2025. Photo: Mikhail Metzel / ANP / AFP
However, as reported by Agenstvo, the government has repeatedly cut funding for the foundation—something that has largely gone unnoticed by journalists. In December 2023, just three months after approving the initial grant, Mishustin reduced the foundation’s budget by 3.8 billion rubles. Then, in August 2024, a month after Tsivileva was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense for social issues, he slashed it further by 11.6 billion rubles, even though 21.9 billion rubles had been allocated earlier that year. The reasons for these cuts remain unclear, but they may suggest the government’s ambivalence toward veterans and their needs.
On March 17, during her visit to Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Tsivileva stated that psychological rehabilitation would become a key focus of the foundation, alongside medical and social support. Multiple sources, including Deputy Chair of the State Duma Anna Kuznetsova, acknowledge that there is currently a shortage of psychologists qualified to work with veterans. Several programs to train them are underway in Moscow, Kazan, and other cities, with even attempts to train some veterans as psychologists. However, this training takes time, and it’s unlikely there will be enough specialists to support the hundreds of thousands of soldiers returning from the front.
‘Hysteria’
It is perhaps a positive sign that discussions on this issue are starting to take place at all. According to the BBC, in Russia, the consequences faced by the relatives of those returning from the war in Ukraine (as well as domestic violence in general) are discussed far less frequently than in the United States and Europe. This topic has not been widely addressed by Russian officials or the academic community - neither after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979-1989), nor following the two campaigns in Chechnya (1994-1996/1999-2009), nor in connection with the wars in Syria and Ukraine. It wasn’t until last year that the Russian Ministry of Health developed clinical guidelines for treating veterans with PTSD and began considering conducting screenings for 'stress disorders' in veterans of the 'Special Military Operation' and their families.
Even psychology experts often downplay the impact of military experience on civilian life. For instance, in 2023, Mikhail Reshetnikov, the rector of the East European Institute of Psychoanalysis, delivered a report in the State Duma, suggesting that the concern over post-traumatic disorders should be 'disavowed as hysteria.' In his speech, Reshetnikov referenced the U.S. experience, where the mental health effects of war on veterans and their families are extensively studied, but dismissed it as irrelevant. He argued that comparing the Russian and American armies was inappropriate because, in his view, 'the U.S. army has constantly waged unjust wars on foreign soil,' and upon returning, its soldiers supposedly 'experienced feelings of guilt.'
Addressing post-traumatic stress disorder often involves helping veterans process feelings of guilt - an approach that runs counter to the current trend of heroization
In contrast, Reshetnikov claimed that the Russian army, unlike the U.S. military, typically fights 'to defend the Fatherland, their homes, their wives and children, their culture, and identity.' He did not, however, mention in his report that media outlets and international organizations regularly present evidence of crimes committed by the Russian army during combat operations and the occupation of Ukrainian cities.
These statements align with the broader strategy adopted by Russian authorities to glorify the veterans’ experience in combat. However, specialists argue that addressing post-traumatic stress disorder often involves helping veterans process feelings of guilt, reflect on mistakes, and move forward with their lives - an approach that runs counter to the current trend of wholesale heroization. Today, those who have returned are celebrated as heroes, despite their often troubling backgrounds.
'Lessons in Courage' from a murderer
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, combatants, including those convicted of serious crimes, started actively visiting educational institutions in Russia for propaganda purposes. In March 2024, a story emerged in Russian-language independent media that sparked widespread attention. It was revealed that Nikita Semyanov, a former music teacher from Novosibirsk, had returned from the war and began touring schools to deliver patriotic speeches. However, as his ex-wife, Polina Semyanova, told the press, he is a pedophile and a murderer. She described how he had seduced her when she was just 13, and they had their first child when she was 17. He beat, humiliated, and regularly raped her.
In 2021, Semyanov murdered Polina’s father and hid the body in the foundation of his house. For a month, he pretended to search for the victim alongside the police. In May 2022, he was sentenced to nine years in a high-security prison. However, in February 2024, the murdered man’s relatives accidentally discovered that Semyanov was free, having served less than a year of his sentence. They learned that he had joined the war in Ukraine as a contract soldier in May 2023. Journalists also confirmed that Nikita had sexually abused other minors, girls aged 13 and 14. Despite these revelations, Semyanov was still visiting schools, delivering speeches about 'real values,' and posing for photos with teenagers as a celebrated war hero.
Since the start of the war, military personnel have held nearly 40,000 meetings with schoolchildren – an average of 93 per day in 2025, according to Novaya Gazeta Europa. 'Lessons in Courage' about the goals of the operation, life on the front lines, and the necessity of military service begin as early as first grade. These veterans are increasingly being asked to teach in schools. At least 99 schools already have former military personnel leading lessons, and more than 200 other institutions are still awaiting teachers from the front.
Uncomfortable truths
The concern that hundreds of thousands of military personnel returning to civilian life could pose a societal challenge isn’t shared by everyone in Russia. Many in power choose to ignore the looming risks, clinging to the illusion of a glorious army incapable of causing harm. After all, in his address to the Federal Assembly, Putin declared that these soldiers are people who ‘will not retreat, won’t let you down, and will not betray you.’
Putin: These soldiers ‘will not retreat, won’t let you down, and will not betray you'
There remains a strong tendency to suppress uncomfortable truths about veterans, including the crimes they commit. And yet, the Kremlin seems to recognize the problems ahead and is wary of the dangers. Rather than addressing them directly, however, it may choose to tighten repression after a ceasefire. Stalin cracked down on civil society in 1945, and Putin may attempt to do the same - especially if the economy worsens and fuels unrest.
