- Category
- Latest news
Criminal Gang Recruits Homeless Russians to Fight in Ukraine for Cash
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russian authorities say they have detained a group accused of recruiting homeless people for military service in Ukraine in order to steal their financial compensation.
According to an official statement from the Russian Interior Ministry, the operation was uncovered in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions.
The Interior Ministry reported that an organized criminal group targeted individuals “leading an antisocial lifestyle,” offering temporary housing and persuading them to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense.
Once recruited, the individuals were allegedly forced to issue powers of attorney or open additional bank cards that gave the group access to their state payments.
According to the ministry’s spokesperson, Irina Volk, members of the network included women who entered into fictitious marriages with the newly contracted soldiers. Volk stated that these marriages were intended to give the group access to benefits paid out in cases of injury or death.
Russian investigators have opened a fraud case under Article 159, Part 4 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Seven suspects between the ages of 25 and 50 have been detained.
Searches at their residences resulted in the seizure of three vehicles, around 60 mobile phones, and multiple bank and SIM cards. Authorities said the total amount of financial damage is still being verified.
This marks the second reported case of this kind in Russia within a week. On November 22, the National Guard announced the arrest of another group in Moscow accused of abducting individuals described as “SVO veterans” and extorting money from them or their families.
Among those detained was Ruslan Kartoyev, identified by officials as a member of the “Batal-Khadzhi” organization.
Earlier, the Kremlin approved legislation allowing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to deploy up to two million reservists abroad, including to Ukraine, without declaring war. According to the Institute for the Study of War, the new law removes previous legal limits and permits “special training” and combat use of reservists even in peacetime.
-7f54d6f9a1e9b10de9b3e7ee663a18d9.png)
-e027084132fee1ae6b313d8b1d5dfc34.jpg "SBU Reportedly Strikes Russian Oil Platforms for the Second Time This Week in the Caspian Sea")
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
