Almost 140,000 Russian soldiers have returned to civilian life after fighting in the war against Ukraine and now require reintegration support, a Kremlin official said Thursday.
“Around 137,000 fighters have already returned home from the front lines of the special military operation,” said Sergei Novikov, who heads the Kremlin’s Directorate for Social Projects, at a state-funded youth forum.
“These are mostly young people... under 35,” Novikov was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency. “They need help retraining, finding new jobs. Not just any jobs, but decent ones. Because right now, in the combat zone, they’re earning solid pay.”
Soldiers earn at least 204,000 rubles ($2,600) per month while deployed in Ukraine.
“They need to return home in a way that doesn't cause a drop in household income,” Novikov added.
Russia’s government, which estimates that just over half of demobilized war veterans have found employment, has introduced job support programs, vocational training and financial incentives for employers to hire veterans with disabilities.
Reintegration efforts have also gained urgency amid a reported rise in violent crimes involving returning veterans. Court records show Russian soldiers have killed at least 378 people after returning to civilian life since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s Defense Ministry estimates that one in five war veterans suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to lawmakers. Russia has fewer than one therapist for every 7,000 adults, and even fewer with experience treating combat trauma.
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