‘Russians May Start Asking Kremlin Uncomfortable Questions’

• 26.02.2025, 13:17

Why is Putin afraid of the occupiers returning from the front?

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) spoke about one of Putin's fears. The head of the Kremlin fears the return of his army of occupiers from the front.

What threats do they pose? Charter97.org talked about this with a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, reserve major of the National Guard of Ukraine Oleksiy Hetman:

— It is known that people return from the army with a different worldview. Very often they organize themselves into criminal groups and begin to engage in crime. People who fought, killed, used weapons, can easily deal with civilians who have never seen this.

Veterans have, so to speak, advantages. They feel it and begin to act. But not all, but a certain part.

The other part will go into depression, they may start drinking or using drugs, but there are also positive scenarios. After returning from the war, it is very difficult to immediately adapt to the life they left.

After all, life in war is very different from civilian life. You see, it is not the same hardship when you come to another country and do not know the language. This is a different “hardship”. The values that are welcomed and which are the main ones in civilian life, it turns out that in war they mean nothing at all. Psychologically, it is very hard. This applies not only to the Russian army, but to any army.

Let's add here what Russians will tell their acquaintances, friends, relatives. There will definitely be meetings, get-togethers. Their stories will be very different from what Russian propaganda broadcasts. Some Russians may start asking uncomfortable questions to the Kremlin about how it really was.

— American experts believe that the head of the Kremlin will not agree to demobilization because of these fears. Where will he put all these people?

— Demobilization will still happen. If the war somehow ends, then where will they keep so many people who are now on the front line? The Russian Federation does not have enough barracks to accommodate this entire army of 1.5 million.

If not full, then at least partial demobilization. They will proceed from the situation, no one will make any sudden moves.

— Is it possible that some competitors of Putin will appear among the officers who returned from the front?

— No. I think that they will not compete with Putin. But they can become leaders of organized crime groups.