‘Society isn’t prepared’ The Kremlin fears ‘public discontent’ and a rise in crime as returning soldiers fail to adapt to civilian life — Meduza
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The Kremlin’s policy of sending hundreds of thousands of Russian men, including many prisoners, to war with little to no training or equipment has had predictable effects back on the home front: numerous soldiers have committed violent crimes upon returning home, and the country reportedly has a critical shortage of psychologists trained to treat PTSD. The Russian authorities have been reluctant to criticize these veterans, with Putin calling for them to become the country’s “new elite.” But according to Meduza’s inside sources, the president’s team is well aware of the risks the returnees pose and fears Russian society isn’t prepared to accept them. Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev explains.

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The Kremlin’s policy of sending hundreds of thousands of Russian men, including many prisoners, to war in Ukraine with little to no training or equipment has had predictable effects back on the home front: numerous soldiers have committed violent crimes upon returning home, and the country reportedly has a critical shortage of psychologists trained to treat PTSD.

The Russian authorities have been reluctant to criticize these veterans, with Putin calling for them to become the country’s “new elite.” But according to inside sources, the Putin’s team is well aware of the risks the returnees pose and fears Russian society isn’t prepared to accept them.

  • @[email protected]English
    28•5 months ago

    I’m actively helping my Ukranian employee and her family adapt to Canadian life. Things are gradually getting easier for them, but multiple times now I’ve witnessed her have extreme episodes of terror/panic over her former home reduced to rubble, her mother still in Ukraine, the stress of fleeing the war with her husband and two children, and now the looming threat of Ukranian embassies withholding passport renewals in an effort to bolster their numbers against the constant Russian advancement.

    I can’t say I’m particularly sympathetic that the child killers and rapists from the other side are having a difficult time assimilating back into their culture. I suppose I can exercise mild sympathy for young conscripts who never wanted it, though.

    • @rottingleafEnglish
      1•4 months ago

      It’s more about those

      child killers and rapists

      coming back into a society and either practicing their stuff there or becoming a burden for mental health professionals or both.

      The good part is that they will have lots of useful skills applicable, among other things, for changing governments, what Chechen Tiktok troops don’t have.

      This war is, well, the bleeding edge of modern warfare. It might look very old and nonsensical for people watching from the West, but people with knowledge and practical command of modern tactics will come back. They don’t need tanks and artillery as much as some Mavics and grenades.

      It’s going to be an interesting future, only I’d rather be far away and I likely won’t be.