Serious Russian Crime Surges To 15 Year High Due To Returning POWs

Russian POWs returning from captivity in Ukraine are a leading cause of a crime surge in Russia that is the highest in 15 years - or around the end of Putin's Second Chechen War. 

The returned POWs are taking their anger out on former comrades who bullied or wronged them during their first enlistment period, but are also inflicting damage on civilians. The Kremlin is said to be aware of the potential social unrest posed by demobilized soldiers but has not developed a strategy for dealing with it other than forcing as many as possible to keep serving in Ukraine. JL

Ivan Khomenko reports in United24:

Serious crime in Russia surged to a 15-year high following the mass return of ex-convicts who fought in Ukraine. Official data showed over 333,000 serious and particularly serious offenses in the first half of 2025, while independent investigations linked hundreds of violent incidents—including murders and assaults—to returning soldiers. One, Sergey Yakushev, of the 83rd Motor Rifle Regiment, is suspected of killing seven fellow soldiers shortly after returning from Ukrainian captivity. 

Russian authorities are searching for a serviceman suspected of killing seven fellow soldiers shortly after returning from Ukrainian captivity, according to Belarusian media NEXTA.

The suspect has been identified as Sergey Yakushev, reportedly from the village of Kamyanka in Russia’s Leningrad region. After being released in a prisoner exchange, Yakushev signed a new military contract and was assigned to the 83rd Motor Rifle Regiment of the 69th Division, where the incident occurred.

Wanted Russian soldier Sergey Yakushev, accused of killing seven fellow servicemen after returning from Ukrainian captivity. (Source: Russian media)

According to NEXTA, citing Russian sources, the shooting took place at a military base in Kamyanka, resulting in the deaths of seven Russian servicemen. Yakushev fled the scene and is believed to be hiding in the Belgorod region. Russian law enforcement agencies have issued a wanted notice and warned that he may be armed.

Some Russian outlets reporting on the case have not confirmed the motive or officially stated the charges against Yakushev. Local channels, such as Severnyi Kanal, claim that investigators are working on-site but have not released official details. The Russian Ministry of Defense and state media have not commented on the incident.

According to Nexta, this is not the first deadly internal incident within the Russian military. In October 2024, the deputy commander of Russia’s Special Operations Forces training center was shot at close range near Moscow. That location was less than 20 minutes from the unit’s main base.

 

The 69th Motor Rifle Division is part of Russia’s ground forces and has been involved in military operations against Ukraine since at least 2015. According to open-source reports, the unit operated in the Debaltseve area during the early stages of Russian invasion and has been active in the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions since 2022.

Earlier, serious crime in Russia surged to a 15-year high following the mass return of ex-convicts who fought in Ukraine. Official data showed over 333,000 serious and particularly serious offenses in the first half of 2025, while independent investigations linked hundreds of violent incidents—including murders and assaults—to returning soldiers.