April 29, 2024

Returning Home to Kill


Returning Home to Kill
Jail cell. The Russian Life files

On April 25, Vyorstka revealed that some 107 persons have been killed and 100 others have been gravely injured by soldiers returning to Russia from Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.

The Russian independent news outlet obtained these numbers after analyzing judicial records and news stories from the media.

According to Vyorstka, soldiers committed at least 84 crimes that led to casualties, including 54 murders with 76 victims. According to the publication, prisoners who were pardoned in exchange for military service were more likely to commit murder than other former soldiers. 18 deaths were recorded as cases of grievous bodily harm. Eleven people died as a result of 9 traffic violations. Two former soldiers who were ex-convicts supplied drugs to minors, resulting in two deaths. 

Research by Vyortska demonstrated that former prisoners who committed these crimes after returning home received sentences averaging 6- to 11-years, while other former soldiers received 7.5 to 10 years in prison. In cases of bodily harm resulting in death, former Wagner Group mercenaries were less likely to receive longer sentences.

Russian Life has previously reported on the concerning trend [also this story from our print magazine] of former prisoners who served in Ukraine returning home and killing. In Yakutsk, an ex-convict killed a 34-year-old man, as well as a 64-year-old woman who won "The Best Teacher in Russia" competition. Near Nizhny Novgorod, convicted murderer Oleg Grechko burned his sister alive upon returning from Ukraine.

Women's rights groups have simultaneously noted increased domestic violence cases from veterans, some of which have led to murder. In Nizhny Novgorod, Alexander Mamayev, a veteran who was not a former prisoner, killed his wife Yekaterina while his 6- and 7-year-olds were in the apartment. 

In January 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree halting the pardoning of prisoners. Contracts now offer "conditional releases" and don't end until the war in Ukraine is over. 

You Might Also Like

  • February 10, 2024

"I Breathed a Sigh of Relief"

The war has increased cases of domestic abuse, yet in one instance things went in an entirely different direction.
A Brick in AWOL
  • April 16, 2024

A Brick in AWOL

In March 2024, Russian military courts began handing down about 34 sentences a day for unauthorized abandonment of military service.
Violence Comes Home, Too
  • April 22, 2023

Violence Comes Home, Too

A man from Nizhny Novgorod fought in Ukraine. When he returned to Russia, he killed his wife.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955