The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports growing Kremlin concern about the long-term social and political consequences of Russian veterans returning from the war in Ukraine.
< p>In Russia, Putin's first deputy chief of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko, expressed serious concerns about the adaptation of Russian veterans to civilian life after the war in Ukraine.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes about this.
According to sources of the Russian publication Meduza, who were present at the meeting in July 2024, Kiriyenko noted that many Russian veterans “adapt poorly” after returning from Ukraine, and former convicts who fought often commit violent crimes. The Kremlin fears that an increase in such crimes could cause discontent and fear among Russians.
Kirienko emphasized that the situation with the return of veterans from Ukraine differs significantly from the periods after the Soviet-Afghan and World War II. In his opinion, modern Russian society, which sees war only “on TV,” is not ready to “understand and accept” veterans.
Of particular concern is the possibility of disillusioned veterans creating criminal groups. However, as Meduza notes, Kiriyenko did not propose specific solutions to solve these problems.
ISW analysts believe Kremlin officials are not yet fully aware of the scale of the risk that the return of veterans could pose to Russia's internal stability. This confirms ISW's assessment that the Kremlin has not sufficiently considered the long-term social consequences of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The situation is aggravated by constant inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflicts in Russia, as well as the consequences of the armed rebellion of the “Wagner Group” in June 2023, which demonstrated how quickly discontent among military personnel can turn into a direct threat to the stability of the regime. < /p>
Recall that in Rostov, police beat up a “SVO veteran” who returned from Ukraine for a license plate with the inscription “Wagner 92” and surveilled him for his military ID.
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