Probe: Soldiers Accused Of Over 1,000 Civilian Killings Returned To Fight In Ukraine

An investigation by independent Russian outlet Mediazona has found that soldiers accused of killing or attempting to kill more than 1,000 civilians have repeatedly been redeployed to front-line service instead of facing trial or imprisonment.

Key Findings

Mediazona reviewed military court records and other documents and concluded that military justice has become far less transparent since the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Courts have, the outlet says, refused to publish hearing records, removed references to defendants' wartime service and deleted rulings after they were posted.

Case Studies

The investigation examined 10 detailed cases. One describes a soldier who shot a woman at close range with a Kalashnikov in Crimea after she criticised the war; another recounts a serviceman who fatally struck a pensioner with a tree branch. In nine of those 10 cases the accused were returned to combat rather than serving sentences. In several instances relatives were told they would not receive compensation because the alleged perpetrators had been sent back to the front.

Scope And Numbers

Mediazona estimates that military courts have received roughly 1,045 cases of murder and grievous bodily harm resulting in death since the full-scale invasion began. The true number is likely higher, the outlet warns, given opaque military procedures and the fact that offences committed by those who had left service may be processed in civilian courts and therefore not appear in military tallies.

Recruitment From Prisons And Consequences

From the early months of the war Moscow recruited heavily from penal colonies and court registries, offering generous pay and the erasure of prior convictions in return for signing military contracts. That policy alarmed many Russians after high-profile examples in which violent offenders sidestepped punishment by enlisting. Media reports include a Kommersant item about a man accused of murdering and skinning his wife who was allowed to fight rather than be imprisoned, and the case of Azamat Iskaliyev, who was freed to serve and later murdered an ex-partner after returning.

Independent Studies And Judicial Treatment

Another independent outlet, Verstka, analysed crimes committed by servicemen and concluded veterans were about 18 times more likely to commit murder than the average citizen. Verstka also found that courts frequently hand down lighter penalties to military personnel: in roughly 90% of the cases reviewed, judges cited participation in the Ukraine campaign as a mitigating circumstance. Victims' relatives say this is widely understood on the ground; one police source reportedly told a friend of a murder victim that the accused had "washed away the offence with blood" in Ukraine.

Wider Political Risk

Reports have warned of political consequences if large numbers of combatants return to civilian life. Three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters in September that President Vladimir Putin fears a mass return of servicemen could destabilise Russian society, evoking the wave of organised crime that followed veterans returning from the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Russian authorities say only about 140,000 service members have been demobilised so far, but analysts argue concern about disorder helps explain Moscow's reluctance to end the war.

Conclusion

Mediazona's investigation raises questions about military accountability and transparency during the war, the recruitment of convicts into combat units, and the social and political risks of redeploying accused offenders instead of ensuring legal processes and victim compensation are respected.