Fighting in Ukraine has given some of the ex-convicts Russia recruited their swag back. These men are granted freedom after surviving their military service. Around 15,000 ex-convicts have reportedly returned to Russia, per The New York Times.
Ex-convicts who fought for Russia in Ukraine are heading home with newfound wealth and swagger, The New York Times reported on Saturday. Olga Romanova, who heads a Russian NGO focusing on prisoner issues, told The Times that around 15,000 ex-convicts have returned to Russia after fighting in Ukraine.
The returning men, who are released without any rehabilitation, often go on to commit crimes once back home. Kirill Titaev, a Russian sociologist at Yale University, told The Times that the wave of “invisible violence” was a “big problem for the society.” Experts The Times spoke to said some former prisoners gained confidence after their stints in Ukraine, and see their wartime service as a form of rehabilitation.
Fighting in Ukraine has also left them financially well-off, as they were paid a base monthly salary of about $2,000 from The Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization, per The Times. That is also more than double the average salary of a Russian worker, who makes around $756 a month, Russia’s statistics agency said in a survey released in October.
Romanova told The Times that even the local police officers are afraid of the returning convicts and their newly-attained veteran status.
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Bugs Marlowe