“Why Russian Soldiers returning from Ukraine are committing crimes”

When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a new round of mobilization last autumn, 44-year-old Alexander Mamaev was among those who signed up.

He was sent from his hometown of Zavolzhye, east of Moscow, to Ukraine to fight.

At home he had a wife and two children aged seven and six.

Horror examples

What Mamaev did in Ukraine is not known. But what happened after he got home has become one of many examples of horror.

On April 17, one week after returning home, Mamaev killed his wife with a knife. She bled to death in front of her two children.

It writes Russian MediaZona.

And Mamaev’s cruel story is not the only one:

On December 21, 47-year-old Victoria was killed in Petrozavodsk. She was shot by her 49-year-old husband.

According to Russian Gubernia Dailyher husband had recently returned from the war in Ukraine.

– Killed again

When the infamous Wagner group began recruiting inmates for the war against Ukraine last year, Ivan Rossomakhin (28) was one of those who signed up.

He was serving a 14-year sentence in a Russian penal colony when he allowed himself to be recruited.

The 28-year-old had reportedly only been home on holiday in his village for eight days when a local resident found his mother killed earlier this week.

The woman’s name was Yulia Buisky and she was 85 years old.

She had been beaten up and was found with multiple stab wounds on her body, according to sources cited by Russian Baza.

– The authorities wanted to drown it out

The website MediaZona has spoken to two of the grandchildren of the murdered 85-year-old.

– My grandmother was killed by a man who was to serve 14 years. He should have been in prison, says the young woman, who wishes to remain anonymous.

According to her, the authorities wanted to hide the incident. Nevertheless, the case came out in the media.

She criticizes Russia’s practice of releasing murderers to fight in Ukraine.

– Our government lets criminals go free, she says and continues:

– This is not going to be an isolated case.

The other grandchild is a man who also wishes to remain anonymous.

– One thing is certain – the authorities wanted to cover up the case, he says in the interview.

– They are traumatized

Russia expert Inna Sangadzhieva of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee tells TV 2 that there are several reasons why Russian soldiers commit crimes after returning home.

– The first reason is trauma. Many are sent to war without being prepared. They take the experience of violence they have with them home, she says.

Some of this is also about lawlessness, according to Sangadzhieva.

– There has been no problem committing violence on behalf of the state. The feeling that you have power over others, and that you can thus exercise it towards others; and that the state will not arrest anyone for this. This shows injustice, she says.

Psychological reasons are the third reason, according to Sangadzhieva.

– When they bring weapons, this gives a feeling that now you are the one who has the power. In a violent society, it builds up under the main image that it is permissible to practice violence or murder.

– Significant increase

– Is there an actual increase in the number of incidents of violence and murder?

– There is a significant increase both in the number of criminal acts such as theft and robbery, as well as in violent episodes where violence or murder is carried out, especially in close relationships, says Sangadzhieva and continues:

– What we see in the media are registered cases. Unfortunately, there are also dark numbers.

Sangadzhieva finally says that the Russian authorities do not want attention to the events.

– They want to show that everything is going as normal. They don’t want people to get upset about the situation. Generally speaking, they want to hide these events, she says.