Guns from Putin’s War in Ukraine Leading to Surge in Armed Crimes in Russia Itself

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Nov. 23 – Guns from Putin’s war in Ukraine are crossing into the Russian Federation and leading to a surge in armed crimes there, according to the Russian interior ministry. For Russia as a whole, the number of such crimes is up nearly 30 percent so far this year; for Kursk Oblast, which borders Ukraine, the figure is 675 percent.

            The figures for other Russian regions along the Ukrainian border are also up by triple digit figures while in Moscow where there is certainly more to steal, the number of armed crimes committed so far this year is up 203 percent compared to the same period a year ago (rbc.ru/society/23/11/2022/637ccfa59a79478ef249f44d).

            That difference leaves little doubt that the guns Russians are using to commit crimes are coming from the war zone, highlighting Moscow’s lack of control of such weaponry and the dangers that Putin’s war now presents to Russians even who are hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away from the front lines.

            Undoubtedly the existence of a large number of irregular forces, including battalions complected in the regions, also helps to explain why so many guns have come into the Russian Federation from Ukraine so quickly.