Russia is facing a surge in violent crime — the worst in more than a decade. Authorities admit that one of the key factors is the war and the return of fighters from the front, many of whom were previously convicted criminals released from prison in exchange for military service. In this episode, we examine some of the most shocking cases: a veteran who killed his pregnant girlfriend, a former Wagner mercenary who murdered three acquaintances with a crowbar, and the brutal rape and murder of an eleven-year-old girl by a pardoned fighter. We also tell the story of an elderly woman beaten to death during a robbery by another returning combatant. Lawyers and criminologists warn that the country may only be seeing the beginning of a much larger wave of violence. As thousands more fighters return home, Russia is confronting a disturbing question: what happens when men shaped by war and protected by pardons come back into civilian life?
Russia is facing a surge in violent crime — the worst in more than a decade. Authorities admit that one of the key factors is the war and the return of fighters from the front, many of whom were previously convicted criminals released from prison in exchange for military service. In this episode, we examine some of the most shocking cases: a veteran who killed his pregnant girlfriend, a former Wagner mercenary who murdered three acquaintances with a crowbar, and the brutal rape and murder of an eleven-year-old girl by a pardoned fighter. We also tell the story of an elderly woman beaten to death during a robbery by another returning combatant. Lawyers and criminologists warn that the country may only be seeing the beginning of a much larger wave of violence. As thousands more fighters return home, Russia is confronting a disturbing question: what happens when men shaped by war and protected by pardons come back into civilian life?