Russia hit by brutal crime wave after Putin frees criminals to fight in Ukraine war

Government

Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is fuelling a surge in brutal crime inside Russia after criminals freed to fight. A dramatic explosion in killings and sex crime accusations by military personnel is revealed in shocking new statistics which are on an unprecedented scale. Analysis of Russia’s garrison military courts found that since the start of the full-scale invasion, servicemen have committed at least 729 murders — a staggering increase of 662 compared to the four years before the war, with