In 2023, 116 Russian military personnel were convicted of murder, an increase of almost 900 percent compared to the previous year.
This was reported by the independent news site Mediazona and confirmed by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, reports Business Insider.
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According to official data from Russia’s judicial authorities, the number of murder convictions rose dramatically from 13 in 2022 to 116 in 2023. Britain’s Ministry of Defense points to post-traumatic stress and desensitisation to violence as likely causes, exacerbated by alcohol and drug abuse among soldiers.
The reports also indicate a problematic effect of incorporating former convicts into the military. In an effort to bolster troops in Ukraine, many inmates were offered freedom in exchange for military service, resulting in people with an already violent past returning to society with few opportunities for rehabilitation.
The New York Times sheds light on the controversial practice where 15,000 pardoned prisoners were sent to the front lines with the Wagner Group and Storm Z, then returned to Russian society. Several of these have committed new serious crimes after returning home.
