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submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

Up to 113 active Russian servicemen were convicted in 2023 - a near 900 per cent increase on just 13 in 2022

The number of Russian soldiers committing murder after returning home from the frontline have soared over the past few years amid “chronic mental health” issues linked to serving on the battlefield.

Data from Moscow’s judicial department showed that 113 active servicemen were convicted in 2023 - representing a near 900 per cent increase on just 13 convictions in 2022.

The UK Ministry of Defence said the high number of homicides was likely due to “war-related chronic mental health issues” and the release of thousands of ex-convictspardoned for their participation in the war.

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[-] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 146 points 1 year ago

They're also recruiting from prisons and promising freedom afterwards, right? That probably doesn't help.

[-] Deestan@lemmy.world 95 points 1 year ago

Where's the harm in taking violent criminals, giving them a year of practice doing war crimes, traumatize them up a bit, and then releasing them into civilized society?

[-] ZapBeebz_@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago

See, it's all planned, because they then arrest the criminals and ship them right back to the front! So efficient!

[-] slaacaa@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Circular economy ♻️

[-] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 year ago

I thought that's for Wagner only.

[-] RozhkiNozhki@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago

No, it's common practice now, not just for those who has been imprisoned for years but for fresh convicts too - they are offered draft instead of imprisonment right after conviction.

Even before conviction!

[-] skillissuer@discuss.tchncs.de 20 points 1 year ago

after wagner was dismantled in all but name (prigozhin was taken out eight months ago, can you believe that? time flies) the same deal was offered by russian army in form of Storm-Z battalions (it's a real name, i couldn't make it up if i tried). another low-quality type of units are BARS which is kinda, sorta like territorial defense units but it seems to me that they're mostly football ultras and other menace that society at large wouldn't miss

[-] mindlight@lemm.ee 55 points 1 year ago

Pfffft.... Yet another sign of the Russian economy booming!

[-] Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

The murder economy

[-] slaacaa@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The sanctions are not working! 😡

(also, please stop the sanctions 🥺)

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Russia is increasingly a resource tank for the Chinese economy. So long as the Chinese economy remains hungry for natural resources, Russia will be fine.

[-] winky9827b@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

It's that capitalist policy of murders and acquisitions.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 44 points 1 year ago

Hardened criminals are freely walking around Moscow, but that's okay because Ukraine is apparently the place of origin of the Russian people.

Same reason why Mussolini's invasion of Greece was totally justified. Aeneas was the progenitor of the Roman people? I guess Greece is the original homeland of Italians.

[-] sparkle@lemm.ee 18 points 1 year ago

Ukraine is the rightful successor to the Kyjivan Rus' and the Soviet Union, therefore they should get the UN permanent member seat and all of the former USSR's belongings, including Moscow. Do I get a medal now?

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

This is fine, but only if we stop pretending the UK is an independent country and just fold it back in with the US

[-] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

Who would have known that giving your convicted murderers guns and letting them loose on a battlefield with zero accountability for the war crimes they commit and then release the survivors in your cities with zero transition whatsoever isn't an effective way to rehabilitate them?

[-] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 12 points 1 year ago

It takes 3 generations for a population to recuperate from the psychological and sociological consequences of a war.

[-] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Does that recuperation compound exponentially? Asking for an American friend.

[-] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago

Was "recuperation" wrong? English is not my first language.

[-] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

It’s correct. But, I’m an American, and still recuperating from all the trauma. Sometimes, when things get quiet, I sit and think of all the deaths from wars committed for my benefit, and it makes me sad. 😞

[-] fuckingkangaroos@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

You're right, the other poster is a Kremlin shill trying to distract from the Kremlin's barbaric war with "whataboutism"

[-] YeetPics@mander.xyz 10 points 1 year ago

Turns out when you send conscripted criminals to war you get back tactically trained war criminals.

[-] riodoro1@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

They are fucking animals when out there. Killing and raping anything they want to just for shits. No wonder some of that stays inside of their underdeveloped brains after.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

Not unique to Russia. Armed forces folks the world over are groomed to act like this.

Check out the surging rate of domestic abuse in Israel following Oct 7th.

And sexual assault in the US military (particularly the "elite" JSOC units) climbs with every new surge in deployment abroad.

Drug use, PTSD, high rates of bankruptcy and divorce and homelessness, all common to the military occupation.

Just another reason why War Is Bad.

[-] anlumo@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Same will happen to IDF soldiers, not sure if Israel is prepared for that.

[-] Shampiss@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

Israeli soldiers are not recruited from prisons like in Russia

[-] Count042@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

Look up hilltop youth.

[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 4 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The number of Russian soldiers committing murder after returning home from the frontline have soared over the past few years amid “chronic mental health” issues linked to serving on the battlefield.

The UK Ministry of Defence said the high number of homicides was likely due to “war-related chronic mental health issues” and the release of thousands of ex-convicts pardoned for their participation in the war.

“The high numbers of homicides by serving and veteran Russian soldiers are likely in part due to enduring war-related chronic poor mental health issues,” the MoD said.

When the mass recruitment of Russian prisoners started in the summer of 2022 it was led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, once the head of the Wagner private military group.

Prisoners - who serve in the “Storm-Z” unit - were offered a clean record, full pardon and allowed to go home after six months on the battlefield.

The Russian military took over the scheme in February 2023 and clamped down on the practice, removing the right to a pardon and ensuring prisoners fought to the end of the war.


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this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2024
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