The Kremlin promotes its killers | Eastern Express

Russia is recruiting prisoners, suspects, conscripts and minorities through coercion, financial incentives and legal shortcuts. Survivors return from Ukraine to a society instructed to treat them as heroes, even as violent crimes involving veterans mount. We examine the case of Ivan Rossomakhin, released to fight again after a second murder conviction. The Kremlin is also grooming selected veterans for public office through the Time of Heroes program and United Russia’s 2026 campaign. On this episode of Eastern Express, we ask what happens when a state turns violence into a route from prison to prestige. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: How Russia’s prison-to-war pipeline became state policy 03:51 Introduction: Treatment of prisoner recruits & effects on civilians after their release 07:38 Interview: Risks of mobilizing criminals 10:53 Interview: Overlap of criminal networks and state authority 13:14 Interview: Shadow mobilization 19:00 Eastern News Flash 🔴 Watch our 24/7 livestream - https://youtube.com/live/9RY46AUtIl4 Bringing you all the latest daily news and updates, TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find world news as seen from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. https://tvpworld.com/   / tvpworldcom     / tvpworld_com     / tvp_world   https://www.threads.net/@tvp_world https://bsky.app/profile/tvpworld.bsk...   / tvpworld.com   https://t.me/tvp_world #russia #war #kremlin