In a recent report, British intelligence noted sharp increase in murders committed by Russian military in 2023. This attests to the increasing level of cruelty in Russian society.
The Mediazona website reported on 18 April 2024 that convictions for murder among Russian military personnel have surged by nearly 900% in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a total of 116 convictions. This is a dramatic increase from the 13 convictions in 2022 and 11 in 2021, signaling a new trend within the Russian military ranks.
The New York Times provided further context on 8 April 2024, noting that 15,000 pardoned prisoners had returned to Russia. Olga Romanova, head of the organization Russia Behind Bars, was cited in the report. Further compounding the issue, Russian media outlet Vertska reported that these former convicts were implicated in 190 criminal cases last year, which included 20 murder or attempted murder cases. One notable instance involved an ex-Wagner prisoner who received a 22-year sentence from the Kirov court for the murder and rape of an elderly woman after his release. The data was summed up by the British Intelligence.
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