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Serious Crime Hits 15-Year High in Russia Following Mass Return of Ex-Convicts From the Frontlines
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
The number of serious crimes in Russia has surged to a 15-year high, following the mass return of convicted criminals who were released from prison to fight in Ukraine. Official data reveals a spike in violent offenses across the country in the first half of 2025.
Between January and June 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) documented 333,251 serious and particularly serious crimes, marking a 10.4% rise compared to the same period in 2024 (301,746 cases). Compared to pre-war figures in 2021 (295,696), the increase is 12.7%. The numbers are even more striking when compared to 2019, with a 32.3% jump from the 251,833 cases reported that year.
The highest number of serious crimes this year was reported in the Central Federal District (over 79,000), followed by the Volga region (nearly 58,000). Moscow and the surrounding region accounted for nearly 43,500 incidents combined.
Despite the upward trend in serious crime, the overall number of recorded offenses in Russia has continued to decline for the fourth consecutive year. In the first half of 2025, the MVD logged a total of 940,500 criminal cases—the lowest half-year figure in at least 16 years.
The total number of serious and especially serious crimes recorded throughout 2024 reached 617,301—the highest in 14 years.
While the MVD does not provide a breakdown by type of offense, independent investigations have highlighted an increase in violent acts linked to soldiers returning from Ukraine.
Over the three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, at least 750 civilians have been killed or seriously injured by returning servicemen, according to court records and media reports analyzed by independent outlet Verstka. As of February 2025, there were at least 378 fatalities and 376 cases of life-threatening injuries caused by veterans of the war.
Among 334 fatal cases involving these individuals over the past three years, 166 were murders that left 196 dead. An additional 112 deaths resulted from incidents of grievous bodily harm. Many of these crimes reportedly occurred in domestic settings and were often connected to alcohol abuse, with victims typically being family members or acquaintances of the perpetrators.
In late June, Kremlin official Sergei Novikov confirmed that around 137,000 individuals who took part in military operations in Ukraine have now returned to civilian life.
Previously, it was reported that UN experts have confirmed that the Russian Ministry of Defense organized the July 2022 attack on the Olenivka detention facility in Donetsk. The United Nations report also detailed the types of weapons used in the incident.
