1/ Russian veterans of the war in Ukraine are finding that they are unemployable when they return home. Despite promises from Putin that they will be Russia's new elite, so-called 'SVOshniks' have discovered that they are often out in the cold when it comes to finding jobs. ⬇️
2/ With hundreds of thousands of Russians having served in the war – and in some cases being discharged through injury or the end of military contracts – there is a pressing issue of finding new civilian jobs for them once their military service concludes. 3/ However, despite official propaganda extolling war veterans, Russian society appears to be wary about employing them. 'SVOshniks' have attracted an unenviable reputation for instability, exacerbated by a lack of support for cases of PTSD. bsky.app
1/ Russian veterans of the war in Ukraine – known as SVOshniks – have a reputation for violence and abuse back home in Russia, committing many murders, rapes and assaults. Few are more exposed to the danger than Russia's prostitutes, whose experiences point to future trouble. ⬇️
4/ There has been a marked increase in violent crime in Russia, which has often been attributed to returning war veterans. As a result, Russian commentators say, Russian society often treats veterans with "disdain" and sees them as out of control. bsky.app
1/ The 'SVOshnik' – a drunk, traumatised, violent veteran of the Ukraine war – has become a figure of fear in Russia. Russian journalist and activist Anastasia Kashevarova, who has fought for soldiers' rights, admits that some veterans are out of control. ⬇️
5/ This is leaving Russia with a significant number of unemployed, militarily trained men who are likely to be angry at how society has treated them – a situation which historically has not been a recipe for stability in post-conflict states. 6/ Former Russian soldier Alexander Raimondi has been chronicling his dismal experience of trying to find a job after returng from the 'Special Military Operation' (SVO): 7/ "I listed my participation in the Special Military Operation on my resumé, so as to avoid any questions about what I was doing in late 2023 and throughout 2024, and, as I later realized, I did it completely in vain. 8/ "For several months, I received rejection after rejection without any interview or dialogue, or they just ignored me. And this despite the fact that I only responded to vacancies as a test engineer that matched my experience. 9/ "...I even contacted the employment service and registered, but other than a benefit of about 2,000 rubles [$23] for three months, it was useless. 10/ "Yes, the benefit should have been significantly higher, given the Redutov contract, but the unit doesn't provide the paperwork that the employment centre required for this, so keep your 2,000 and don't deny yourself anything! 11/ "A friend recommended I contact the Defenders of the Fatherland foundation, which I did. They have a separate employment department within the foundation, and I naively hoped they'd be helpful. 12/ "But it was no more effective than contacting the Employment Service (which at least paid 2,000 rubles a month). There were no openings, and those that did exist (i.e., those who had direct contact with the foundation)… 13/ …were either offering positions completely unrelated to my specialism or were similarly rejected without explanation. 14/ "And when you, a professional with a higher education and almost 10 years of IT experience, are offered 40,000-50,000 rubles [$464-$580] as a general labourer or cleaner after returning from the SVO, any remaining optimism evaporates. 15/ "When reality revealed the true attitude toward the "new elite," I removed the line about the SVO from my resume. And after that, I started getting some responses and interviews. ...In August 2025, JSC VAZSISTEM responded to my application. 16/ "I successfully passed the standard and technical interviews and subsequently received the coveted offer. All that remained to be done was to get through security. I submitted my information and eagerly awaited a response. 17/ "I must say, I wasn't worried at all, as I had previously worked for large IT companies and had never had any problems finding employment. But instead of being accepted, I received a message: 18/ "Alexander, unfortunately, you have been rejected by security. The reason is your participation in rallies." 19/ "When we were detained for rallies in support of Novorossiya and other patriotic events, when [Alexander] Beglov banned 7th November [October Revolution Day, still celebrated by Communists], it was clear that patriotism was nonexistent in the Russian Federation, and that… 20/ …supporting Russia in a Russophobic state could come at a high price. But at least back then, I had no problems with my job, as I had always taken a responsible approach to it. 21/ "Okay, so supporting my country didn't come at such a high price for me as it did for other comrades who volunteered, some since 2014, and died at the front with the status of "500" [deserter]. 22/ "And yet, at that moment, it was as if the ground had been pulled out from under me. 23/ "Those who were posthumously awarded medals, had they returned alive, would have faced a similar attitude: you can fight and die for Russia, but when you try to get a job, you'll be "rejected due to participation in rallies" or rejected after the employer finds out… 24/ …about your participation in the SVO, but in 99.9% of cases, they won't tell you the reason for the rejection. I decided to contact the "Defenders of the Fatherland" foundation; maybe they could at least help legally and defend my rights to work... 25/ "And here you might rightfully think: "Maybe he also believes in unicorns?" But at that moment, I was trying every possible way to get back to work. 26/ "Predictably, this didn't produce any results – I told them about the illegal refusal, and they told me, "We can't force them to hire you." And if I'd been robbed, they would have told me, "We can't force them not to rob you." Overall, it was good legal support." /end Source: 🔹 t.me 🔹 t.me 🔹 t.me