Convicts, Corruption, and Murder: Russia’s War Comes Home

A convicted killer escapes the front line, beats another man to death, and then asks to return to war again. In Saint Petersburg, investigators uncover a scheme exploiting desperate Russians and stealing military payments from soldiers heading to Ukraine. And in Bashkortostan, police solve a chilling murder hidden with chains and concrete in the style of Russia’s violent 1990s. In this episode of From Russia with Fear, we examine how war, corruption, and brutality are becoming deeply connected inside modern Russia — from prison recruitment to deadly domestic violence and criminal fraud surrounding military compensation. These are not isolated crimes. They are part of a system where violence follows people home.