Russia Features Ukraine War Veterans in Parliamentary Election Campaign

Russia is prominently featuring candidates who have fought in the war in Ukraine in its current parliamentary election campaign, with nearly 200 individuals identified as having served in the conflict among those vying for seats. Election officials have presented these veterans as part of Russia's "true elite," aiming to demonstrate that those who fought in Ukraine will have a valued place in post-service life.

Analysts, however, express skepticism that these veterans will attain significant power within the country's ruling circles, suggesting the initiative may primarily serve to encourage further military recruitment. Independent Russian media have frequently reported on returning veterans involved in criminal activities, some of whom were recruited from prisons.

The vote for the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, marks the first since the war began and will also occur in Ukrainian territories that Russia has annexed. The Kremlin is managing the election closely, seeking to project an image of widespread support for the war and to legitimize its actions.

Many of the candidates approved for the ballot, who are aligned with the Kremlin, have backgrounds as participants in what Russia terms its "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Vladislav Golovin, a 29-year-old candidate from the ruling United Russia party, is one such figure. He participated in the battle for Mariupol and lost a portion of his leg. Golovin has appeared alongside President Vladimir Putin, who bestowed upon him the title of Hero of Russia, the nation's highest military honor. In 2024, Golovin joined Putin's "Time of Heroes" program, designed to prepare veterans for government careers, and now leads a youth patriotic organization. He has also been subjected to Western sanctions.

United Russia has numerous candidates with combat experience in Ukraine. Among its prominent candidates is Yevgeny Poddubny, a state television war correspondent who sustained injuries from a Ukrainian drone strike.

The ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party has Alexei Vereshchagin as a leading candidate. Vereshchagin is described as having joined the Moscow-backed separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and led a volunteer brigade. In a campaign video, Vereshchagin stated, "We are the ones our homeland has called upon to fight for the ‘Russian World,’ and we will fight." Ukrainian police have reportedly investigated him for alleged involvement in wartime abuses in the Kyiv region.

According to Nikolay Petrov, a senior research fellow at the NEST Centre, the Kremlin's promotion of veterans in the Duma campaign is intended to assure potential recruits that their service is for a "higher cause" and that it offers promising career prospects. However, Petrov also noted that Russia struggles with integrating returning soldiers, often offering them positions with limited influence.

Former Kremlin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov characterized the effort as "empty talk," suggesting that such promises are made to encourage enlistment. Many veterans face difficulties in their post-service lives, as contracts often prevent them from leaving the military, and those drafted in 2022 have not yet been demobilized.

While official figures suggest around 167,000 servicemen have returned from Ukraine, experts and Russian media reports indicate the number is likely higher. The "Time of Heroes" program is highly competitive, accepting a small fraction of applicants for government positions.

Reports from independent Russian media indicate that a significant number of veterans have been appointed to government posts or elected to local legislatures, though many of these individuals had prior government or related experience. Official government officials and lawmakers have also reportedly served in Ukraine while maintaining their legislative roles.

Tambov Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov, a United Russia candidate, served in Ukraine in 2022 as part of a special military unit. The U.K. government has described such units as often including members of the United Russia party and children of Kremlin elites, suggesting they may allow political figures to avoid typical military service with guaranteed safety.

Experts like Ivan Filippov observe that such instances can lead to disillusionment among supporters of the war, who may feel that the "new elite" promised by Putin does not genuinely represent front-line veterans but rather those who have had brief military exposures before returning to their previous roles.

Kremlin official Sergei Novikov acknowledged in December that tens of thousands of returning veterans remain jobless, posing a "dangerous risk zone." Analysts suggest the Kremlin favors candidates with prior military experience who also possess established bureaucratic or political backgrounds, rather than those seen as problematic veterans.