Rising tide of crimes in Russia: Consequences of the Ukrainian conflict and the terrifying role of 'Z‑liberators'

The project at "Violence.net" has identified a severe deterioration in the domestic situation relating to violent crimes in the Russian Federation, a consequence of the two-year war with Ukraine. Anna Rivina, the project director, cautions that the escalating crime figures represent merely the tip of the iceberg: the realities of wartime significantly skew these statistics, as victims are less likely to report to the police.

Based solely on readily available data, occupiers returning from Ukraine are reported to have already claimed the lives of 51 individuals in Russia, while the count of assaults, rapes, robberies, and other related crimes reaches into the thousands.

The center recalls an instance involving a former member of the Wagner Group. In Kuban, he reportedly set two women on fire, murdering them. Similar mass murders occurred in Karelia, where a former mercenary and his accomplice eliminated six individuals, and another instigated a lethal fire at the Kostroma club, leaving 13 people dead.

"Z-liberators" coming back from Ukraine are also implicated in numerous robbery cases. In Yemelyanovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory), one such former Wagner Group member, Serhij Yushchuk, attempted to break into someone's apartment. Alerted by frightened neighbors, police attempted to apprehend the offender. Although they succeeded in halting Yushchuk, not before he assaulted numerous officers.

The project discovered that Yushchuk had been previously convicted four times for theft and robbery.

He served his sentences in a high-security colony, from where he was drafted to fight in Ukraine, a service for which he was pardoned and resumed his criminal activities.

"Russian soldiers, even those with a history of committing crimes within the Russian Federation, often receive unusually light sentences. This is even applicable to individuals previously convicted under severe clauses of the Russian Federation Criminal Code", the report highlighted.