Over a hundred Russian officials and security personnel have fled to the war to escape courts and prison.

Journalists note that among the officials who went to the front, there is not a single federal-level civil servant. Most of them went to war because they were under investigation or had received sentences for bribery, embezzlement of budget funds, and abuse of power.

Among the former law enforcement officers, there are those convicted of murder: for instance, the former head of the criminal investigation department in Kyzyl, Orlan Saryg-Dongak, and his subordinate, Alim Kenden, who were sentenced for burning a detainee. Both died at the front in 2024.

Seventeen former officials and security personnel died at the front, while 23 returned from the war alive. Sixty-one individuals are currently at the front. It is noted that not all officials are allowed to go to the front. "They know too much and could return as heroes, after which they might seek revenge on those who imprisoned them," said a corruption lawyer on the condition of anonymity.

According to sources, authorities encourage convicted individuals who wish to go to the front; however, the Ministry of Defense unofficially coordinates the process with the FSB. "At the grassroots level," the recruitment process is more active, but if the central apparatus of the FSB or the Investigative Committee is involved, the request to go to the front may remain unfulfilled.

• During the war against Ukraine, the Russian authorities began recruiting prisoners to participate in combat operations. Later, they adopted a series of laws that allow individuals to go to war at any stage of the trial and investigation by submitting a relevant request. The law does not apply to charges related to terrorism and extremism.

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