Russians who Never Fought in Ukraine are Identifying as Veterans to Get Benefits but Police are Doing Nothing in Response, Activists Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Dec. 22 – As has happened after wars in the past, many Russians now who never fought in Ukraine are declaring themselves veterans of that conflict and even wearing uniforms and medals to get benefits. But in contrast to the past, Russian police are doing nothing to hold them to account for this fraud lest they call too much attention to it.

            Just how many Russian men are doing this is unknown, but the problem, which seems to be concentrated in areas close to the battle lines and thus may be part of a strategy to avoid being dragooned into military service rather than anything else, is attracting ever more attention in Russia, with many there saying something should be done. 

            This has outraged many genuine veterans, some of whom have taken action. Others are angry as well. Kirill Kabanov, a member of the Presidential Council on Human Rights, says he wants those making false claims about being veterans to be charged with discrediting the army and punished accordingly (svpressa.ru/war21/article/496006/).

            Other observers, like Aleksandr Chistyakov of the Russian Literary Society, are calling for a different approach. They say that those who falsely claim to be veterans are suffering from mental disorders and should be confined in psychiatric facilities, a step that would both discredit the practice and make it less likely that others will follow in their wake.